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Last Updated: Oct 10, 2008 - 12:58:55 PM |
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today charged Mr.
Nyeson Wike, the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, with
various counts of stealing N4.67 billion from the state’s coffers.
Wike was arraigned before Justice Abimbola Banjoko of the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gudu area of Abuja. He is charged
with six counts of stealing, abuse of office and embezzlement of public
funds.
The first count accuses Mr. Wike of stealing N129 million, the second
involves stealing N41.9 million, a third count accuses him of stealing
N100 million, while the sixth count states that he pilfered N3.5
billion naira.
On Monday, EFCC officials arrested and detained Mr. Wike after he
showed up at the agency’s offices accompanied by the secretary to the
state government, Magnum Abbe. Mr. Abbe was also detained, but has been
released on bail pending further investigations by the agency regarding
financial scams perpetrated by state government officials using a state
account domiciled with Zenith Bank in Port Harcourt.
The charges against Mr. Wike reveal that N4.67 billion went through his
personal bank account at Zenith Bank. A senior EFCC official told
SaharaReporters the agency suspects that the funds were laundered by
the state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, through Wike’s account.
A source close to Amaechi confided in our correspondent that the
governor and his strategists are designing strategies to evade direct
interrogation of the governor by EFCC officials.
Governor Amaechi traveled to London with the commissioner of finance as
well as the state Accountant General ostensibly for “official reasons.”
An EFCC official told our correspondent that the agency is interested
in questioning both the governor as well as the finance commissioner
and accountant general “in order to get to the root of the shocking
movement of state funds through private accounts.”
Source:Ocnus.net 2008
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