By CrossRiverWatch admin
Rights Activists and APC chieftain, Barrister Obono Obla has written the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC alleging that there are attempts by those he accused of misappropriating Cross River State funds in his 15 petitions to the Commission, to influence the result of the investigation.
In a letter from his lawyers, Otum Eteng and Co. and addressed to the Chairman of the anti-graft commission, Chief Obla urged Mr. Magu to verify from the commissions’ records, receipt of his petitions beginning from April 2015, subsequent investigation report of the petitions and take urgent action.
“We have strict instructions from our client to bring it to your knowledge that before your well deserved appointment as Chairman of the Commission, he had 15 very illuminating petitions graphically orchestrating the wanton, merciless and unconscionable looting of the Cross River State commonwealth during the tenure of Liyel Imoke state government (2007 – 2015).
“We are aware that the strict and uncompromising direct brief to you from the people’s President, Buhari is to kill corruption before it kills us as a nation. Our client is therefore encouraged that you are coming at the right time to replace former EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, a man our client has over time, publicly and unequivocally passed as having outlived both his usefulness and effectiveness in the present day fight against corruption.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our client has strictly requested us to plead with you to verify from the Commissions’ records that, in furtherance to his avowed support for the Buhari change mantra, he wrote 15 petitions beginning from April 2015, supporting each with veritable copious documents chronicling how and when each act of looting was executed.
“It will interest you to note that the bulk of the documents used and exhibited in our client’s petitions were given to him by some of the aggrieved members of the Governor Imoke political family.
“Our client is aware that pursuant to his petitions, some key government officers who worked in the Imoke led government were invited to Abuja whereat, they made both useful and corroborative statements.
“Whilst our client is satisfied with the level of investigations so far done by the operatives handling the Cross River State case, he is however aware of the numerous steps taken by the main culprit to influence the outcome of the investigations.”
He further informed the Commission that he had no intention of stampeding their work, but was interested in knowing if nothing incriminating was found against anyone by the investigators.
“Sir, our client feels that, without any intention to stampede the work of the Commission, if nothing incriminating is found against anybody by the investigators, he has the right to know, but if anybody has been found to have stolen the people’s commonwealth, he or she must appropriately be prosecuted.”
CrossRiverWatch checks at the EFCC could not confirm if the letter has been received by the Commission.
Spokesman of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren told CrossRiverWatch that he cannot confirm immediately if such a letter has been received.
Efforts to also reach the former Governor, Liyel Imoke were unsuccessful as several calls to his phone could not connect, but a former Commissioner in his administration who pleaded not to be named told our reporter that “Obla is used to making noise. If that makes him happy, let him go on making his noise. I don’t think that what he is doing has any effect on Imoke in anyway.
“His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke served Cross River State meritoriously for 8 years and the records are there for everyone anytime. It is the trademark of Obla and his party the APC to fight corruption in the press. If there are any issues of financial impropriety, the press is not the place to get justice and I think Obla should know that.”