After several days of extended interrogations, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will today arraign the former Benue State Governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, for money laundering and embezzlement.
The arraignment of Suswam, who ruled Benue State from 2007 to 2015, follows
the filing of a nine-count charge largely bordering on money laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion against him at the Federal High Court Abuja on October 2.
Suswam and his former finance commissioner, Omodachi Okolobia were alleged to have diverted the proceeds of the sale of shares owned by the Benue State government and Benue Investment and Property Company Ltd.
The offence is punishable under section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 20111 as amended in 2012.
It will be recalled that in a bid to set the stage for the prosecution of Suswam, the commission grilled him and his former finance commissioner, Mr. Omadachi Oklobia, for many days last month but released them on administrative bail.
The two men, it was learned from their interrogators, were shown documents relating to the alleged crimes preferred against them and they were asked to defend themselves to enable the commission to determine their culpability or otherwise.
A source in the agency confirmed, last night, that the commission was convinced that the former governor and those who aided him to lauder the funds of the state must be charged to court.
The source said: “Barring any last minute hitch, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will formally arraign the former governor of Benue State,Gabriel Suswam before an Abuja Court today, November 4, 2015.
“The anti-graft agency had on Monday, October 2, 2015 filed a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion at a Federal High Court, Abuja.”
While Suswam is facing the trial by the EFCC, he had successfully stopped his probe by the state governor, Samuel Ortom, by securing the order of the Benue State High Court to restrain the commission of enquiry raised by the governor from investigating his tenure.
It is not clear if Suswam will also get the same court to restrain the EFCC from proceeding with his trial.
Vanguard.
Suswam will walk free!
I am sorry but i am beginning to see the EFCC as just a toothless bull dog.They are a waste of tax payers money and should be scrapped.All do is arrest,arraign,arrest,arraign and thats it...nothing concrete has ever come out of their investigations and arrests.
I am no longer hoodwinked by their snake and ladder game!...
Snake n Ladder ludo.
ReplyDeleteChai,i will look for it n buy n play with my kids. Imagine getting to 99 n the snake takes you down to 40 or so.
Meanawhiler,EFCC boss is facing probe,abi?. So,who is in the helm of affairs now?
Hummm, tired for all these people jare
ReplyDelete*Larry was here*
Yea.. Efcc is working...lol...Arrest, discharge and aquit.. That is all they do.
ReplyDeletePoliticians are indeed the scums of the earth. You embezzle money and resources meant for common good, then still got the balls/effrontery to run to the court to ask that your "stewardship" be not investigated. I am really just tired...
ReplyDeleteEFCC should investigate the ownership of Durumi area, behind Gudu market, Abuja as I heard the whole of that place belongs to him.
The judgement of the one in state comes up on the 9th of this month.
ReplyDeleteU took the words out of my mouth Stella btw any hot gist today?
ReplyDeleteNa today?
ReplyDeleteComedy.
I dreamt of you
DeleteDear Suswam, sing like a canary!!!
ReplyDeleteaiit
ReplyDelete#GODWIN™
President Buhari is not perfect. The attempt to build a cult personality around him is a no-brainer. There is no guarantee that he will succeed where many including him failed in the past. Let's face facts, very little has changed. It is still the same dysfunctional system led by terminally corrupt politicians albeit from a new camp called the APC.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also think he'll come good in due time as well.
Ghanaman signing out!!!
So,what next???
ReplyDelete**Som Baby**
they are going for peeps that dosent ve mouth in d Nigerian political sector
ReplyDeleteEFCC is becoming something else. All talks no action.
ReplyDeleteWhen will they take them to court for trial and put them behind bars? All i hear is efcc questions and quizzes this and that.
ReplyDeleteLong overdue
ReplyDeleteNgwanu!
ReplyDelete3.1 billion? EFCC must do more! This man should have stolen over 100billion now. He didn't pay salaries for several months @ D helm.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't pay salaries and diverted the money to his pocket shebi? Ode!!
Delete3.1 billion? EFCC must do more! This man should have stolen over 100billion now. He didn't pay salaries for several months @ D helm.
ReplyDeleteIf one poor man steal a goat out of hunger, efcc will jail d person. The real thieves who are the politicians will continue to go free. Efcc was created by the politicians to protect them and their loot abeg. They already know that nigerians are very gullible and know that any news like this is enough for us even when no action is taken against this people.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I think our politicians will soon begin to need zimmer frames to enable them carry out their duties.
Stella abeg check ya date again on the Suswan story.
ReplyDeleteEFCC oga dey on probe too. So suswam will walk free. only poor people efcc dey work on. get power over poor people.
ReplyDeleteI think poor people need to upgrade ooo
EFFC is scam and should be scrap
ReplyDeleteEFCC should stop fooling themselves already.
ReplyDelete