EFCC faults ThisDay’s report on investigation of Saraki, his IHRC appointment

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has faulted a publication of ThisDay newspaper, which suggested that the anti-graft agency moved against President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, following his appointment by the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), stressing that the report is a deliberate ” falsehood and misinformation”.

A statement issued on Monday by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC Tony Orilade, said “the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a publication in ThisDay Newspaper of Sunday, May 5, 2019 captioned “Again, EFCC Moves Against Bukola Saraki,” and wishes to correct the deliberate falsehood and misinformation it served the general public.

The publication had said that “A few days after the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) announced the appointment of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki as its Ambassador at large, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has initiated a fresh investigations, which seek to probe all salaries, allowances, estacodes and payment he received as Governor from 2003 to 2011.”

The Commission noted that the writer strived to create a misleading nexus between the Senate President’s IHRC ambassadorial appointment and EFCC’s inquiries into his financial earnings as Kwara State governor.

“For the avoidance of doubt, investigation into the Senate President’s activities while he held sway as the governor of Kwara State started long before his nomination and emergence as IHRC ambassador.

“In fact, the Commission’s letter to the Kwara State Government House which sought an inquest into Saraki’s earnings as the state governor, from  from 2003 to 2011 was dated Friday, April 26, 2019, predating his announcement as IHRC ambassador at large which came on Sunday,  April 28, 2019 with two clear days.

“We, therefore, urge members of the public to disregard the false connect the writer sought to establish between Saraki’s IHRC ambassadorial appointment and our inquiries into his earnings as a state governor.

“We wish to restate our resolve to resist distractions from any quarter in our efforts to rid the country of corruption and corrupt elements,” the statement said.