The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday combed the Abuja residence of the former Chairman, DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, in continuation of its investigation into the controversial disbursement of $2bn arms procurement funds by the ex-National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
It was gathered on Thursday in Abuja that Dokpesi was taken to his house in Abuja, where the operatives of the anti-graft agency searched the businessman’s residence for certain clues that might aid its probe.
It was not clear what the operatives looked for in the residence and if they succeeded in taking away any document.
After the search, the suspect was taken back to the EFCC headquarters, where he was kept overnight.
Dokpesi, had, in a statement on Wednesday, said the N2.1bn he collected from Dasuki’s office, was meant for publicity and media campaigns during the 2015 general elections, describing it as a contractual transaction.
A 13-man committee set up by the Office of the NSA to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and defence sector from 2007 to date had unearthed alleged illicit and fraudulent financial transactions on the purchase of arms during the period.
The committee had submitted an interim report to the Presidency.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, after the submission of the interim report, the total extra budgetary interventions so far articulated by the committee was estimated at N643.8bn
The committee also put the foreign currency component of the arms contracts at $2bn, an amount, it said, excluded grants from state governments and funds collected by the DSS and Police.
Meanwhile, the EFCC has arrested a former Chairman of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Marine Safety, Air Vice Marshal Salihu Atawodi (retd.), for alleged N600m arms scam.
It was learnt that the retired military officer was invited to the commission’s Abuja office by 11am on Thursday and was grilled for several hours.
A top operative of the commission said Atawodi was invited to the commission’s headquarters for alleged conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds.
He was alleged to have awarded contracts to the tune of N600m to one Alhaji Rabiu’s Hypertech Nigeria Limited for the procurement of military boats, which were not supplied. (Punch)