Saraki’s Aide Denies Allegations on Paris Club Refund

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly indicted the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and some of his aides in the alleged laundering of up to 3.5 billion Naira, from the Paris Club Loan Refund.

A source at the EFCC told Channels Television that the report, which was compiled by detectives at the anti-graft agency, followed months of investigation, and was submitted to the President on March 10, 2017, days before the Senate rejected his nomination a second time.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu, has denied that any money from the Paris Club Refund was paid to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

In a press Statement, Mr Olaniyonu has described as untrue the report purportedly from the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr Ibrahim Magu, where he made several allegations against the Senate President, as it concerns the payment of the Paris Club Fund refund to the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

Mr Olaniyonu stated that these allegations are not new as the EFCC itself came out to deny the reports saying, it had nothing to indict the Senate President as the investigation was still on-going then.

In addressing the specifics of the allegation in the reports, Mr Olaniyonu stated that the EFCC believes that since the Senate President has worked in the same organisation with Mr. Robert Mbonu before, whatever transaction he is involved in should be linked to the Senate President in this era of mud-slinging and much-raking.

He further stated that Mr. Mbonu is not representing Mr. Saraki in any transaction he does with the NGF and no money from his company, Melrose, in his dealing with the Nigeria Governors Forum came to Dr. Saraki either directly or indirectly.

According to Mr Olaniyonu, “It is obvious that at this point when Mr. Magu believes the Senate President should be blamed for his failure to secure confirmation as Chairman of EFCC by the Senate, he would want to fight back by cooking up reports and masterminding its leakage”.

He challenged the EFCC to make public any information to the contrary.