EFCC, CCB release details of how Saraki used public funds to buy properties while he was Governor

The Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have revealed details on the allegations of corruption, theft and money laundering perpetrated by the Senate President,Bukola Saraki while he was the governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.

In a joint response to Saraki’s claim that his trial at the CCT was a witch-hunt, the CCB and EFCC made the revelation yesterday, showing how Saraki allegedly amassed properties in Lagos, Abuja and London, using Kwara State’s funds.

The joint response was contained in the counter-affidavit filed by the prosecution in the trial of Saraki on charges of false assets declaration and corruption.

Both bodies also revealed how the Senate President allegedly diverted Kwara State funds through Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB, Plc into his personal foreign account, and with which he purchased a property in London.

Commenting on the affidavit, one Peter Danladi, an official of the CCB, said the investigation of the various petitions of corruption, theft, money laundering, among others, against Saraki in 2010, was conducted jointly by the officials of the EFCC, CCB and the DSS.

He said, “The EFCC conducted its investigation on the various petitions and made findings which showed that the defendant/applicant abused his office, while he was the governor of Kwara State and was involved in various acts of corruption as the governor of the state.

“The defendant/applicant borrowed huge sums of money running into billions from commercial banks, particularly Guaranty Trust Bank, and used the proceeds of the loan to acquire several landed properties in Lagos, Abuja and London, while he was the governor of Kwara State.

“As against the defendant using his own legitimate income to defray the loan, he took public funds, running into billions from Kwara State Governemnt and lodged same in several tranches and in cash into his GTB account in GRA (Government Reservation Area), Ilorin, Kwara State.

“The defendant/applicant’s account officer in GTB confirmed that the defendant/applicant gave him several cash in the Government House to lodge into the account and on some occasions, the defendant sent his aides from the Government House to give him the cash for lodgement into his account.

“When the EFCC submitted its report to its legal department and the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Justice formed the opinion that the offences revealed from the investigation, particularly as they relate to the properties acquired by the defendant/applicant, while he was governor of Kwara State and various monies sent into his various accounts outside Nigeria can be better handled through the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

“The office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) then sent the findings and the evidence gathered during investigation by the EFCC as a complaint to the Code of Conduct Bureau for investigation and that the operatives of the EFCC would collaborate with the officers of the CCB for effective
investigation.

“Our investigation on the CCB Assets Declaration Forms for public officers filed by the defendant/respondent revealed the following:

“The landed property listed as No.42 Gerald Road, Ikoyi was visited by Mr. Ikechi Iwuagwu (Deputy Director,CCB), Miss. Geraldine Longsten (DSS) and Adamu Garba (EFCC) sometime in 2006 and discovered that the property was under construction.

“Contrary to the declaration by the defendant that he was earning an annual income of N110,000,000 from No.42 Gerald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, there were no tenants in the property as same was an empty land as at the time of the declaration.

“Contrary to the declaration by the defendant that he owned 15A and 15B McDonald, Ikoyi, Lagos as at the time of the declaration in 2003, our investigation revealed that the said properties were acquired in 2006 from the Implementation Committee on Federal Government Landed properties through his companies called Tiny Tee Limited and Vitti Oil Limited wherein he paid the sum of N396,150,000 to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“The defendant made an anticipatory declaration for the said 15A and 15B, Ikoyi, Lagos. The defendant acquired the properties in the name of two companies because he could not buy two Federal Government properties in his personal name.

“The defendant bidded for and acquired 17, 17A and 17B McDonald, Ikoyi, Lagos from the Implementation Committee on Federal Government Landed Property and paid an aggregate sum of N497,200,000 to the Federal Government between October 2006 and 2007.

“A scrutiny of the defendant’s salary account with the Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank) account No: 0100857813 reveals that his monthly take home salary as at the time he acquired the property was not more than N500,000 and the defendant acquired properties far in excess of his income.”