I am ready to assist the anti-graft agency- Special Adviser to Former President on Niger Delta Affairs
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFFC) has started probing the activities of the Presidential Amnesty Programme
and has invited immediate past Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta
Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, for questioning on July 28.
On his part,
Kuku has said that he is ready to assist the anti-graft agency in its bid
to probe the accounts of the agency under his leadership.
Kuku, who
spoke from the United States of America where he is undergoing a medical
procedure, said that the allegations of conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office
and diversion of public funds being made against him, did not arise as the
records of his administration were clear and available for scrutiny.
“I’m
currently in the U.S for an urgent surgery on my knee and will certainly return
to honour the EFCC invitation once I recuperate in September. The record of my
stewardship under the Presidential Amnesty Programme is an open document and it
is available for scrutiny since I have nothing to hide about what we did,” Kuku
said on the phone.
The former
presidential aide was responding to an invitation by the EFCC, directing him to
report to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja for questioning on July 28,
2015 by one of its operatives named, Chris Owobu, over allegation of diverting
public funds running into hundreds of millions of Naira.
The EFCC
letter with ref: CR 3000/EFCC/ABJ/EG/T7/vol.25/263 and dated July 22, was
signed by the Head of Economic Governance, Olufunke Adetayo Ogunbode and was
sent and received by the Presidential Amnesty Office in Maitama, same day.
In it, the
EFCC said: “The commission is conducting an inquiry into a case of conspiracy,
stealing, diversion of public funds and abuse of public office involving you.
“In view of the above, you are kindly expected
to be interviewed by the undersigned through Chris Owobu on Tuesday July 28,
2015 at No 5 Formella Street, off Adetokumbo Ademola Crescent Wuse 2, Abuja at
10 am.
“Kindly
accept the assurances of the Executive Chairman’s best wishes and highest
regards, please,” the invitation letter said.
But Kuku,
who is outside the country on medical grounds, wrote back to the EFCC that he
was indisposed to appear before the commission on July 28, since he was
scheduled for an operation on July 30, at the Andrews Sports Medicine and
Orthopaedic Centre, United States.
Kuku’s
letter to the EFCC dated July 24, 2015 was signed by his lawyer, Chief Karina
Tunyan, SAN.
The lawyer
wrote: “Our client is currently in the United States of America to keep
appointment with his doctors at the Andrew Sports Medicine and ‘Orthopaedic
Centre for surgery on one of his knees.
“He is
expected back in Nigeria at the end of September, 2015 after the surgery and
recuperation. He will definitely report in your office as a law-abiding citizen
by 10.am on 30th of September, 2015,” the lawyer explained.
The documents
from the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Centre were also attached by
the lawyer for the attention of the EFCC.
The Head of
Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the invitation
extended to Kuku by the commission.
Comments
Post a Comment