Police Re-open Senate Forgery Case, Summon Mark, Ekweremadu, Enang

Ndoma-Egba, Maikasuwa also invited
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Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

The police have re-opened the case of alleged forgery of Senate Standing Rules in 2015 by some senators and consequently summoned the presiding officers of the seventh Senate and relevant individuals to appear before it.

The rules were alleged to have been forged to alter the pattern of electing presiding officers from hitherto open ballot system to secret ballot at the inauguration of the eighth Senate on June 9, 2015.

The alleged forgery also included the alteration of the pattern of the nomination of committee chairmanship in such a way that the new rules now permit the opposition to chair Grade A committees in contrast to the trend in the past.

The letter of invitation obtained by THISDAY yesterday, dated June 6, 2016 and signed by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, James Caulcrick, listed the affected officers to include immediate past Senate President, Senator David Mark, his deputy and also incumbent Deputy Senate President, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu.

Also on the list are former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba; former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enang and the committee clerk, Dr. Nma Ogozy and former Clerk of the Senate (now deceased).
The letter was tagged: “first reminder” as it made reference to the earlier letter written by the Police to the officers on July 1, 2015 with the caption: “Forgeries/Fraudulent Use of Senate Standing Order/Rules 2015 (as amended) by the Eight Senate.”

Although the police did not include incumbent Senate President Bukola Saraki on the list of invited officers, it was learnt yesterday that the police are under pressure from higher authorities to also include Saraki on the list.

The letter read: “I refer to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police’s letter No. CR:3000/X/FHQ/ABJ/VOL. 186/98 dated 1st July, 2015 requesting the under-listed officials of the seventh Senate to report to the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department for the purpose of conducting investigation on the above subject matter: Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Majority Leader of the Senate, Clerk of the National Assembly, Clerk of the Senate, Chairman, Business and Rules; Secretary, Business and Rules. “As at the time of writing this letter, none of the officials in the above seventh Senate list honoured the invitation to respond to the allegations, except the clerks of the National Assembly and Senate.

“Consequent upon the above, you are kindly requested to inform the listed officials yet to respond to report to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department on 9th June, 2016 for the purpose of further investigation on the matter.
“While hoping that you will accord this request the urgent attention it deserves, please accept the warm regards of the Inspector-General of Police.”