Nwaoboshi Welcomes EFCC Probe into $1.5bn Equipment Supply Contract
Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
The senator representing Delta North senatorial district, Peter Nwaoboshi, has said he is ready to be probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of fraud in the execution of a N1.5 billion contract for the supply of equipments to Delta State government.
This is as he refuted reports that his 12-storey building located at 27 Marine Road, Apapa, was seized by the anti-graft agency empowered by a Federal High Court order.
Rather, the said property was sealed by the anti-graft commission one month ago without a court order, Nwaoboshi said.
In a statement yesterday, the senator accused the EFCC of sneaking into the court in Lagos to obtain the said order after entering unconditional appearance through its lawyer earlier.
“It is surprising that EFCC could sneak into a Federal High court in Lagos to obtain the said order after entering unconditional appearance through their lawyer, Yetunde Alabi, appeared before the Federal High Court in Asaba on the 13th of April 2017 on the same subject matter, and pleaded with the court for adjournment, which the court graciously granted and adjourned to 25th of April 2017 for hearing,” the statement read.
“The same EFCC, through their lawyers, filed their brief of argument on April 21, 20l7, and also filed their counter-affidavit on April 24, 2017, for hearing on April 25, 2017, in the suit filed by the companies against EFCC on the same subject matter,” it added.
According to media reports, Nwaoboshi is being investigated, alongside his brother, Augustine, for supplying used equipment for a N1.5 billion contract with Delta State Ministry of Works, in 2010, and for not declaring certain properties in his asset declaration forms with the Code of Conduct Bureau.
The senator has however, said he is being harassed for his vocal alignment with the position of the Senate on the rejection of the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, as substantive head of the commission.
