The
suspended Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke,
on Monday appeared before the Presidential Investigative Panel headed by Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo.
The panel
commenced its meeting around 1.pm.
The sun news reported that He had also
appeared before the panel last week.
The
three-man panel also has Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami
and National Security Adviser, Rtd Major General Babagana Munguno as members.
The panel
has invite all relevant officials and private individuals who may be connected
to both cases to appear before it.
Oke was also
suspended pending the outcome of a full scale investigation he ordered into the
discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by EFCC in a
residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, over which the NIA has
made a claim. The investigation is also to enquire into the circumstances in
which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by whose or which
authority the funds were made available to the NIA, and to establish whether or
not there has been a breach of the law or security procedure in obtaining
custody and use of the funds.
Senior
Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Laolu Akande,
at the weekend said that all its (panel) proceedings will be closed sessions
to avoid speculations, allow for full disclosure and enhance the pace of
proceedings.
The panel
will investigate allegations of legal and due process violations made against
the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal and the
discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in a residential apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The panel will also obtain and scrutinize documents that may throw some light
on the issues raised in both cases. “The panel which is expected to submit its
report to the President at the expiration of the 14-day deadline, will conduct
it’s work with utmost diligence and without fear or favour”, Akande said.
President Buhari had last Wednesday suspended Lawal and ordered an
investigation into the allegations of violations of law and due process made
against him in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the
North East (PINE). His suspension from office will last pending the outcome of
the investigations. Global Vision Ltd., owned by the SGF was indicted by the
Senate last December for benefiting from inflated and phantom contracts – or
ones not executed at all – awarded by the Presidential Initiative for the North
East, PINE. Lawal’s Global Vision Ltd., got over N200 million contract to clear
grass in Yobe State Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp.
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