EFCC Coveniently “Clears” CCT Chairman Of N10m Bribe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, April 20, cleared the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Justice Danladi Umar, of the N10m bribe allegation hanging on his neck.

The CCT spokesperson, Ibrahim Alhassan, who disclosed this in a statement, said that the EFCC sent a letter to the tribunal on Wednesday clearing the CCT chairman of the allegation.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has today conveyed a letter to the chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Hon Danladi Yakubu Umar, exonerating him on the alleged N10 million bribe by one AbdulRashid Owolabi, in his petition to the commission,” Alhassan said.

“The letter was addressed to the secretary to government of the federation, captioned ‘RE:

Investigation Report RE: N10million  Bribery Allegation against the Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja.’  ‘With reference NO: EFCC/P/NHRU/688/V.30/99, dated 20th April, 2016.’

“The letter which was signed by Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo, secretary to the commission reads: ‘Kindly recall our correspondence of 5th March, 2015, (reference EFCC/EC/SGF/03/56) with the above subject, please.”

The EFCC, under the chairmanship of Ibrahim Lamorde, in an investigative report submitted to the Secretary of the Federal Government, SGF, in 2015, stated that Umar’s conduct in 2012 was suspicious because he met an accused person undergoing a trial before his court in private and that he was accused of accepting bribes.

‘‘We would like to reiterate the commission’s position in regard to this matter as earlier communicated to you and stated that the allegations levelled against Justice Umar were mere suspicions and consequently insufficient to successfully prosecute the offence.”

According Alhassan, “today’s clearance letter was second to the previous one sent on the  March 5,2015 during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan through the office of the then secretary to the government of the federation Chief Pius Anyim.”

The “clearance” letter from the EFCC is coming on the day the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, through his counsel, Raphael Oluyede, filed an application requesting that the CCT Chairman withdraws from his trial.

Though bias is the leading reason contained in the application, a 20 page affidavit attached also builds Saraki’s case based on the fact that Umar, who is presiding over a case that was investigated by EFCC, is also under investigation by the same agency.