The Presidential Committee probing Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ambassador Ayodele Oke, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, David Babachir Lawal, has invited some aides of the suspended NIA boss.
But the Director-General is yet to be officially invited by the panel, led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
This is even as the committee has summoned officials of some commercial banks to explain how N220 million paid the contractor, who handled the grass-cutting contract in Yobe State under the Presidential Initiative for the North-East, PINE, ended up in a firm. This is in addition to summoning the CBN to explain its role in the cash haul found in a building in Ikoyi.
“The NIA D-G has not been officially invited but some of his aides have been invited by the Presidential panel,” a source said. The source said the National Security Adviser, NSA and Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, were aware of issues relating to the money recovered at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos. The source said: “The NSA and Magu were aware of these activities.
Why they (EFCC) did what they did only God knows. He (Magu) submitted what he had earlier submitted to NSA in 2015. You know Magu said he had earlier investigated NIA staff and that some of them were living above their means.” Bankers summoned over N220m remittances Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered, yesterday, that the Presidential committee has summoned some commercial banks over the N220 million for grass-cutting contract in Yobe State.
In particular, the committee is interested in understanding the rationale behind the rapid transfer of over N200 million within a couple of weeks from the contractor to a firm, Rholavision Technologies Limited. The record of transactions, now before the Osinbajo’s panel raises a lot of questions, which the panel is determined to unravel.
According to a source, a commercial bank manager is expected to provide answers on why the sums were rapidly moved from the contractor’s account to another company. The allegations of wrong-doing in the document obtained by Vanguard showed the following: That on March 29, 2016, Josmon Technologies Limited paid N10,000,000.00 five times, which amounted to N50 million to Rholavision Technologies Limited, with different Reference numbers of 9998222200559927, 998222200559962; 9982222005599633; 99822225600201; 9982222600261.
It was also learned that the same company on March 30, 2016, paid N10 million five times to Rholavision Technologies Limited, amounting to N50 million, with reference numbers 998222005825763; 9952222005625822; 9982222995625824; 998222200565826; and 9982222562881. Similarly, on March 31, 2016, Josmon Technologies Limited also made transactions twice to Rholavision Technologies Limited at N10 million, amounting to N20 million, with reference numbers 9982222005677584 and 998222205677592.
Also, the same company on April 1, 2016, paid N10 million to Rholavision Technologies Limited five times, amounting to N50 million, with transaction identity numbers 9982222005731505; 9952222005731547; 9952222005731593; 9982222005731594; and 9982222005732011 respectively. On April 4, 2016, Josmon Technologies Limited also made transactions to Rholavision Technologies Limited at N10 million twice and N5 million, amounting to N25 million, with reference numbers 9982222005321833; 998222200821837 and 9982222005821847 respectively.
In the same manner, on August 22, N20 million was paid under the name, JMT Global Technologies, to Rholavision Technologies Limited, with reference number 99822220011865741 and on September 8, 2016, Josmon Technologies Limited paid N10 million to the same company, with reference number 999222201339451, while on September 9, 2016, payments were made twice, the first being N10 million, while the second was N35 million.
The rapidity of transfers from the two firms to Rholavision raised questions of money laundering which the Senate had used in asking for the removal of the SGF from office, prompting the Presidency to suspend him and raise a panel to probe allegations against him. It was also gathered, yesterday, that the committee will summon key officials of the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, on the matter.
We learned from competent sources last night that the committee had outlined a number of individuals and organizations considered imperative in helping unravel the mystery surrounding the huge cash discovered at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.
It was learned that the committee was keen on establishing whether or not the nation’s apex bank released the cash directly or through a third party to the NIA boss as being claimed. Already, CBN spokesman, Isaac Okoroafor, had made it clear that the bank does not release fresh mint notes to individuals but to commercial banks.
(Vanguard)
