•As EFCC quizzes him again
•Extend anti-corruption fight to APC members —CACOL
As investigation deepens in the alleged N108 billion fraud involving Senate Minority Leader and former Akwa-Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, indications emerged at the weekend that properties alluded to him in various petitions accusing him of fraud, may be temporarily seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
For the second day running, operatives of the anti-corruption commission quizzed him for many hours in Abuja.
When this report was being filed, the immediate past governor of the oil-rich state, had done over 12 hours under interrogation and was later released, having reported to the commission’s head office yesterday morning.
Sunday Tribune learnt that following the former governor’s rejection of the mentioned properties as his, the commission will likely approach the court this week to seek an order of temporary forfeiture until the probe ends.
Several high-profile properties located in high-brow areas of Abuja and Lagos, in excess of billions of Naira were linked to him in the petitions by a lawyer from the state, Mr Leo Ekpeyong.
It was further alleged that the former governor looted the state treasury to purchase the said properties.
Akpabio had, through his former Commissioner for Information, denied the ownership of the said properties.
A security source told Sunday Tribune on Saturday night that the anti-corruption agency would seek a forfeiture order to have a temporary custody of the properties since they are now subject of probe, coupled with the ownership controversy.
“Since no one is appearing to own the properties again after they were claimed to be proceeds of alleged corruption, it is just normal for the Federal Government to take them over until an owner or owners as the case may be, show up. You can’t do that without a proper order of the court” a knowledgeable source volunteered.
Another source could not say categorically if Akpabio would be arraigned this week.
There was also an unconfirmed report that he may be arraigned and granted bail while investigation continues, just to have him on proper court bail with his travel document expected to be seized.
When this report was filed, the former governor had not returned home.
He was first pulled in for interrogation on Friday. He spent about an hour.
His return to the commission for interrogation at the weekend raised a bit of concern since the commission isn’t always administratively active on Saturdays.
Yesterday’s development is said to be a pointer to certain peculiarities in Akpabio’s case and a decision to speed the probe up.
Meanwhile, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), yesterday, came close to accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism in the fight against corruption, calling on him to treat anyone with corruption petitions with all seriousness.
This is coming on the heels of accusations of the president being selective in the fight against corruption, as about three immediate past governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including Alhaji Sule Lamido; Mr Gabriel Suswam and Akpabio, have been quizzed by the EFCC on corruption allegations while former governors of the APC, including former Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, who had similar petitions against them have neither been arrested or invited.
Loyalists of the PDP had, in several statements, criticised the APC-led federal government of selective prosecution of corruption.
But CACOL, in a statement signed by its Executive Chairman, Mr Debo Adeniran, lauded the effort of the EFCC on fighting corruption by inviting and quizzing Senator Akpabio, describing it as a step in the right direction in the war against corruption in Nigeria.
It, however, stated that it was aware that many of the recently announced ministerial nominees had corruption questions to answer, adding that the defence some of them put up during their screening were self-indicting on the corruption allegations against them.
“Since nepotism is a form of corruption; that someone belongs to the ruling party, is a legislator or a minister should not be misconstrued as immunity against prosecution. Such people should not be allowed to occupy any public office till they satisfactorily answer the charges against them lest they constitute a dent on its anti-corruption image,” the statement noted.
Tribune.
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