SAN FRANCISCO, March 19, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, were summoned on Wednesday to appear before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. They are expected to appear before the court on April 15.
They were summoned to defend the suit filed against them by the Bayelsa State Government for the return of N1.4 billion and another $1.3 million recovered from a former governor of the state, Diepreye Alamieyesiegha.
The court’s processes were served on both the commission and its chairman on Wednesday.
Bayelsa State, in a writ of summons filed on its behalf by Mr. Anthony Agbonlahor, is asking the court to declare that the failure of EFCC to remit the complete funds recovered from Alamieyesiegha after he was investigated and prosecuted and “subsequently trading with the funds by way of funds placement/fixed deposits is an act of corruption and an economic crime contrary to sections 6 and 7 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.”
The state is also asking the court to issue an order to direct EFCC to immediately pay the seized monies with the interest which had accrued on them.
It also asked the court to declare that the EFCC boss, Lamorde, who took part in the investigation and prosecution of Alamieyesiegha should not have allowed the recovered looted funds to be traded with.
The Bayelsa Government is therefore asking the court to rule that Lamorde was not qualified to continue in office as EFCC chairman having violated his oath of office.
It also wants the court to order EFCC to pay 21 per cent interest on the N1.4 billion and the $1.3 million from November 1, 2013 until judgment was delivered by the court.
Bayelsa is also asking the court to, “direct EFCC to pay to it $400,000.00 being the amount forfeited by its former governor and which funds had since been repatriated by the United States Government to the EFCC.”
Bayelsa State Government had mandated the Chief Executive of Panic Alert Security System, Mr George Uboh, to pursue the refund of the monies by EFCC.
Uboh, acting on the mandate, had written to the EFCC requesting for the monies to be paid within seven days following which the commission requested him to meet with its staff on 19th December, 2013.
Uboh said he met with EFCC and the commission asked him for a short time to comply.
He however lamented that as at the beginning of this month, the commission had yet to remit the monies and that the state had instructed that a suit be filed against the commission to recover the monies.
