EFCC Statement
The attention of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been drawn to a report which was widely
syndicated in the newspapers and online media on Monday, October 6, 2014, alleging
the involvement of officials of the Commission in a bribery scandal over the
Gbaran Ubie Gas Project in Bayelsa State.
The report which is purportedly based on a petition to the House of
Representatives by a certain Chidi David Adebanya ought to be ignored as the
motive is essentially to befuddle the case pending against the petitioner at
the Federal High Court, Abuja.
However, the Commission is
constrained to respond in the interest of readers who might have been mislead
by the sponsored story
For the avoidance of doubt,
there is no truth in the claim by Adebanya that officials of the Commission
demanded gratification from him to throw the case. It is inconceivable that any
official of the Commission will ask for a bribe let alone promising to make returns
to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke. This is
preposterous! According to Adebanya, the bribes were demanded in 2011. The
important question is, why has it taken him three solid years to go public with
the allegation?
The reality is that nothing of
such happened. The contrivance is a ploy to discredit the case instituted by
the EFCC against Adebanya. The petitioner is currently standing trial before
the Federal High Court, Abuja
on charges of obtaining money under false pretence. He allegedly used his position as Interface Manger for
Shell to extort his employer through a phony consultancy in connivance with
officials of the Bayelsa State Ministry
of Urban Development He allegedly awarded
himself a consultancy contract using his company “Forstech” being run by his
girlfriend, Uzoma Ibe, an accomplice. The “team” milked Shell of N1.9billion in
consultancy charges for the Gbaran Ubie gas project.
The phony deal later cost him
his job. The matter which was before Justice Gladys Olotu was later reassigned
to Justice Adeniyi Ademola after the former left the bench.
Rather than prove his innocence
in court, Adebanya resort to self help by petitioning the House of Representatives
and seeking to scandalize the Commission through spurious allegations.
It is regrettable that a
section of the media bought this gambit by rushing to publish without any
attempt at verifying the claim or seeking the views of the Commission on the
purported allegation.
If this omission is part of an
agenda to embarrass and distract the EFCC from pursuing the case against
Adebanya, it has failed. No amount of sponsored publications on unfounded allegations
will stop the Commission from diligently prosecuting the case against Adebanya.
If the petitioner believes he
has any case against the Commission, he is free to seek redress in court.
Wilson
Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
8th October, 2014
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