Saraki Has Been Under Investigation Long Before His IHRC Appointment – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says Senate President, Bukola Saraki has been under investigation by the commission long before his nomination and emergence as International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) ambassador.

The anti-graft agency said the report linking Saraki’s investigation to his recent IHRC appointment was untrue, saying that the probe into Saraki’s earnings as the state governor, from 2003 to 2011, predates his announcement as IHRC ambassador at large.

EFCC said its attention was “drawn to a publication in ThisDay Newspaper of Sunday, May 5, 2019 captioned “Again, EFCC Moves Against Bukola Saraki,” and wishes to correct the deliberate falsehood and misinformation it served the general public.

According to the publication, “A few days after the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) announced the appointment of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki as its Ambassador at large, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has initiated a fresh investigations, which seek to probe all salaries, allowances, estacodes and payment he received as Governor from 2003 to 2011.”

“With this, the writer strived to create a misleading nexus between the Senate President’s IHRC ambassadorial appointment and EFCC’s inquiries into his financial earnings as Kwara State governor.

“For the avoidance of doubt, investigation into the Senate President’s activities while he held sway as the governor of Kwara State started long before his nomination and emergence as IHRC ambassador.

“In fact, the Commission’s letter to the Kwara State Government House which sought an inquest into Saraki’s earnings as the state governor, from  from 2003 to 2011 was dated Friday, April 26, 2019, predating his announcement as IHRC ambassador at large which came on Sunday,  April 28, 2019 with two clear days.

“We, therefore, urge members of the public to disregard the false connect the writer sought to establish between Saraki’s IHRC ambassadorial appointment and our inquiries into his earnings as a state governor.

“We wish to restate our resolve to resist distractions from any quarter in our efforts to rid the country of corruption and corrupt elements”, the agency said.