EFCC Quizzes Ex-Governor Chime over Diezani Bribe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday grilled the immediate past Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, for allegedly receiving N450m out of the $115m (N23bn) disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.The ex-governor was said to have told detectives that he handed over the money to the Secretary of the campaign office, Mrs. Rita Mba, who was also the state’s Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Government Affairs.The ex-Enugu State governor is the second governor in the South-East to be grilled by the EFCC in connection with the Diezani bribe money.The South-East zonal office of the anti-graft agency had, on May 4, 2016, invited and quizzed a former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; Senator Chris Anyanwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ahamba; and a former Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, for their alleged role in the handling of N700m from the Diezani fund.Meanwhile, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, has arraigned one Michael Okpo and Dasel Nanjwan before the High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, for an alleged fraud of N575m.The ICPC said in a statement by its spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, that the accused persons were employees of the Calabar Free Trade Zone, a subsidiary of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority.Both Okpo and Nanjwan were brought before Justice Michael Edem on 10 counts bordering on “knowingly holding private interest in contracts connected with the CFTZ.”Counsel for the ICPC, Enosa Omoghibo, argued that the action of the accused persons contravened Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, and punishable under the same section.The statement read in part, “Further investigations also revealed that Michael Okpo, who is the Senior Manager, Engineering Services, NEPZA in the CFTZ, and his colleague Dasel Nanjwan, are the owners of the above-mentioned companies, having themselves and their spouses as directors.“Having taken their pleas separately, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them. The case has been adjourned for further hearing.”Meanwhile, the EFCC has stated its readiness to accept plea bargain in the corruption cases against a former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, and a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal, Mohammed Umar (retd.).Metuh, who is currently being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly receiving N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), had said last week that he had written to the anti-graft agency that he was ready to return the money so that he could be allowed to travel out of the country for medical treatment.