. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stepped up its offensive against Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state over alleged money laundering.
Recall that the governor’s personal accounts in the Zenith Bank, Ekiti branch, were allegedly frozen on the order of the anti-graft agency recently over allegations that monies meant for the purchase of arms was paid into the accounts by the office of former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
According a report by Naij.com citing The Punch, the ant-graft agency is now gearing up to seize buildings belonging to the Fayose which he allegedly acquired after he became governor on October 16, 2014.
According to the report, the EFCC has disclosed that it had identified six of the properties tied to the governor with purchasing papers that were skilfully prepared to deceive security agencies. Sources of the agency said though the purchasing papers were yet to be changed, but those who sold the properties had confided in the EFCC who the real owner of the houses was.
The investigators suspect that the governor might have used his detained bosom friend, Abiodun Agbele, as a front among others. We are closing in on the governor. Immunity does not stop us from investigating any sitting governor or president. And we have no apology to offer for doing our duty,” source in the EFCC told the Punch. Two of the governor’s friends in the know of how the properties were bought have reportedly been interrogated by the EFCC.
The agency says the properties would be temporarily seized until the proxies whose names appear on the papers of some of the houses were “able to convince investigators whether the source of the funds used in purchasing the houses were clean”.
One of the key evidences used to nail Fayose was given by a former secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Dr. Tope Aluko.
Aluko who said he was invited by the anti-graft agency, added that the allegations he made against the governor concerning the funding of his campaign were true. Aluko said: “Ayo Fayose was sworn in on October 16, 2015. By January 30, 2015, he made a cash deposit of N145m into De-Private account. “On on April 18, 2015, he paid cash of N70m to the same account. The N300m deposit paid into account no 9013074033 in April in cash by Abey in Fayose’s name can’t be from the Zenith Bank, but from the Office of the National Security Adviser/Dasuki for presidential damaging and presidential election.
“These funds were used to purchase choice properties in Abuja, Lagos and Dubai through other banks in Ekiti which the EFCC is now working on. “Ayo Fayose is not ignorant of Money Laundering Act, although he’s relying on his immunity. He should know that any cash payment above N9m for corporate and N5m for individuals is an offence and should be reported to the EFCC. “The ones discovered or uncovered by the EFCC are different from that of the N2.1bn, $2m and $35m from this same source.”
In a related development, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state may have found himself in trouble waters again as the office of the inspector general of police has received not less than 102 petitions against the governor relating to harassment of persons during and after the last governorship election in the state.
According to Punch, the petitions were written by those alleged to have been harassed, beaten or detained before, during the controversial poll which has been dubbed Ekitigate.
