SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has justified its continued detention of former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Iyiola Omisore.
The anti-graft commission gave the reason in a counter-affidavit it filed before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory opposing Omisore’s bail application.
It stated that the former Osun State senator and Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2014 election in the state was still being investigated for money running into hundreds of million which he received from the then National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).
An EFCC’s investigator, Kassim Yusuf, in the counter-affidavit, stated that Omisore’s arrest and detention were backed by court orders adding that the commission was planning to invite a number of the ex-Deputy Governor’s associates, who he named during interrogation.
“The EFCC is investigating cases of alleged payments made by the office of immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) to individuals and companies, with nothing to show for it,” EFCC claimed.
“In one of the alleged cases which the 1st respondent (EFCC) is investigating, the name of the applicant (Omisore) featured prominently as a sole signatory to Firmex Gilt Ltd’s bank account domiciled at United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc.
“A copy of a letter to UBA, forwarding signatory mandate card and statement of account of Firmex Gilt Ltd is hereby attached.
“Several payments were also made by the office of the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki Trtd) into the bank account of Sylvan Menamara Ltd domiciled at Diamond Bank, with nothing to show for for it.
“Copies of e-payment schedules from ONSA and statement of accounts of Sylvan Menamara Ltd are hereby attached.
“From Sylvan Menamara Ltd’s Diamondaccount, the sum of N160,000,000 was deposited into the said account on 4th August, 2014 by the then NSA. Thus sum was subsequently transferred into Firmex Gilt Ltd’s bank account domiciled at UBA Plc on 8th August 2014.
“Investigation so far carried out, reveals that the applicant received hundreds of millions of naira from the office of the National Security Adviser, with nothing to show for it.
“In the course of interviewing the applicant, he has mentioned names of persons and companies through which monies from the office of the National Security Adviser got to him.
“There is need to those persons and companies mentioned by the applicant to make some clarification. If the applicant is granted bail, he will interfere with witnesses and he will also prejudice and frustrate our on-going investigation,” Yusuf said.
THEWILL recalls that the EFCC had on July 3 arrested Omisore in relation to about N1.3bn of the NSA’s fund traced to him but he subsequently filed the bail application before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi seeking an order releasing him from custody.
His lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN) urged the court to grant his client bail and faulted Omisore’s continued detention saying that the court, having restrained the EFCC from arresting him, makes his current detention illegal.
Uche also referred to his cleint’s ill health, which he said required that he be released from custody and allowed to attend to seek medical attention outside the country.
Arguing the counter-affiadvit, EFCC’s lawyer, Takon Ndifon argued that Omisore’s detention was not unlawful and did not amount to an abuse of his rights.
“Omisore was invited by the EFCC on April 11, in relation to the investigation, but promised to honour the invitation on April 14,” he said.
“Instead of honouring the invitation in line with his rescheduled date of 14th April, 2016, he came and misled this court by obtaining an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st respondent (EFCC) from unlawfully arresting and detaining him without following the due process of law.
“In compliance with the law, we obtained a warrant of arrest and remand warrant to keep the applicant in its custody for 14 days pending the conclusion of its investigation and the arraignment of the applicant in court.
“We further submit that, based on the applicant’s antecedent, if he is granted bail, he will abscond and he will never willingly present himself to the 1ts respondent for arraignment before any court of law.”
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, after listening to parties, fixed ruling for Friday July 15 2016.
Story by David Oputah
