Following the N21 billion financial allegation involving the
immediate past governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, the special
fraud unit, SFU, of the State Security Services, SSS, has concluded
arrangements to arrest the federal lawmaker and arraign him before the court of
law.
Nigerian Pilot reliably
gathered that Saraki who is also the chairman, Senate committee on environment
and ecology was in May 2012 declared wanted by the SFU of the SSS over the
allegation that the loan write-off granted to some of his companies, by the
former management of the Intercontinental Bank Plc, was fraudulent.
Though, the lawmaker had earlier denied any link with the said
companies alleged to have sponsored a multibillion naira loan scam, he
subsequently reported at the SFU office Ikoyi, Lagos, for questioning over his
alleged role in the fraud and was later released on bail after two hours of
interrogation.
Nigerian Pilot reports
that the senator is being investigated for a waiver of N9.97 billion granted by
the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc to companies he allegedly promoted while
he was governor.
According to the commissioner in-charge of the unit, Mr Tunde
Ogunsakin, the companies that enjoyed the waivers are: Joy Petroleum Limited,
Skyview Properties Limited, Dicetrade and Limkers Nigeria Limited.
He also disclosed that the controversial waiver of N9.97 billion
for which Saraki is being investigated, represents about 82 per cent of loans
and facilities granted to the companies in February 2010.
In his reaction, via a telephone conversation with the
lawmaker’s special adviser on strategy and communication, Mr Akintoba Fatigun,
he described the development as a normal thing that happens when general
elections approach, saying that the polity is usually characterised with such
political intrigues.
He added that, “We however have strong belief in the judiciary
as a body that guarantees and assures all citizens of their rights. If the SFU
feel like going to court, fine we are sure the judiciary is peopled by respected
individuals who are not so blissfully ignorant, they are patient enough to
weigh issues and know where political intrigues and character assassination
sets in rather than celebrating concocted stories.”
Source: Nigerian Pilot
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