Following the anti-graft agency, EFCC’s move on the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose’s account over suspicious movement of funds, Governor Ayo Fayose has hit back at the President by reminding the nation of the President’s wife, Aisha Buhari’s alleged role in the former U.S. Congressman, William Jefferson bribery scandal.
Ayo Fayose on Monday circulated a link to the U.S. Department of Justice website containing court documents regarding the alleged involvement of the First lady in the bribery scandal. The documents alleged that Aisha Buhari transferred suspicious funds to the convicted former American congressman, Williams Jefferson.
Fayose, in a statement released to its effect signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, said the President was far from being a clean man.
The statement said: “Even the President cannot claim to be an angel.
“The estate he built in Abuja is known to us. His wife was indicted over the Halliburton Scandal (sic). When that American, Jefferson, was being sentenced, the President’s wife was mentioned as having wired $170,000 to Jefferson. Her name was on page 25 of the sentencing of Jefferson. We can serialize the judgment for people to see and read.”
Following this move, Ayo Fayose’s Special Assistant on New Media, Lere Olayinka, later circulated links and copies of the court document detailing Mrs Buhari’s mention in the scandal.
According to the documents, the U.S. Government Sentencing Memorandum on page 22 reads: “Government Exhibits 36-87 (6/26/02 $170,000 wire transfer from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying “William Jefferson” as Beneficiary)”
Recall that an investigation into the case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, mentioned the President’s wife in its report released on June 22, 2006.
According to a New York Times’ article in 2007, Mrs. Buhari was reported to have disclosed her relationship with the former U.S. Congressman to an acquaintance in Washington.
The article reported, “As the pair struck up a conversation and subsequently became friends, Mr. Assiba, then a security guard, said she told him that her father was the former military ruler of Nigeria, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and that her American friends included politicians like Mr. Jefferson of Louisiana”.
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