Former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
said they traced more than $88 million to a hidden account controlled by
the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sterling
Bank of Nigeria, Yemi Adeola.
An EFCC source said the money was transferred to Mr. Adeola from
Fidelity Bank of Nigeria whose managing director, Nnamdi Okonkwo, was
last week detained by the EFCC. Mr. Okonkwo last was granted bail late
yesterday.
The source told SaharaReporters that the $88 million found at
Sterling Bank was separate from the $115m given to Fidelity Bank by the
ex-oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke. The funds were used to bribe
officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig
the 2015 presidential election for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
It was gathered that Mr. Adeola who was arrested yesterday and
remains in the custody of the EFCC, had kept the $88m as an "off-record"
transaction.
Meanwhile, EFCC officials told our correspondent that the
anti-corruption agency was contemplating charging certain officials of
Sterling Bank officials with obstruction of justice. The officials were
responsible for shutting down the bank's computers to prevent
investigators' access to documents illustrating illegal transactions by
the bank.
One EFCC source also told SaharaReporters that former Governor of
Anambra state, Peter Obi, was instrumental in arranging the Jonathan
administration's placement of slush funds with Fidelity Bank. The source
said investigations are ongoing regarding the extent of the
ex-governor's involvement in the money laundering scandal.
Source: SaharaReporters
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