The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State how aides and other yet to be identified persons lodged cash and other monetary instruments totaling N15 billion and $13 million into the personal account of Senate President Bukola Saraki when he was governor of Kwara State.
The agency said the peak of the suspicious lodgments was on October 26, 2009, when 88 different persons lodged the sum of N80 million into the account of the Senate President.
EFCC made the revelations in a counter affidavit it filed against a fundamental human rights enforcement suit against it by one Dr. Kennedy Izuagbe, the managing director of Carlisle Properties Investment Limited, a firm owned by Senator Saraki.
Izugbe, in the suit, first filed about three years ago, but struck out by the court on June 20, , 2017 due to lack of diligent prosecution, but has now been restored, asked the court to stop EFCC from arresting him.
The managing director of Carlisle in the affidavit filed before the court on his behalf by Mahmud Magaji SAN stated that he was first invited by EFCC on the 13th of November 2014 and after series of interrogations, he did not hear from the agency again, until 29 April, 2015 when he was again invited.
He added that EFCC requested for some documents including, ones relating to how Saraki purchased his landed properties which are under the management of Carlisle Property and Investment Limited during interactions with him.
He, however, said he told them the anti-graft agency that information related to the landed properties can only be accessed from the Senate President.
But Izuagbe stated that he was surprised to read on pages of newspapers how EFCC has been manipulating media perception to the effect that the portfolio of his company could have been derived from the public service proceeds of its beneficial owners.
The suit has been adjourned to March 12, 2017 for definite hearing.
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