Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency, EFCC Arrests Bukola Saraki Over Fraud Allegations
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has held a former President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, in its custody over allegations of theft and money laundering.
SaharaReporters learnt that Saraki was arrested on Saturday and was being interrogated at the Abuja office of the EFCC.
“Yes, Saraki has been arrested. He is going to be released later tonight and ordered to return again tomorrow. He is being interrogated at the Abuja office,” an authoritative source told SaharaReporters.
As Senate president between 2015 and 2019, Mr Saraki spent a considerable time facing allegations of corruption and false declaration of assets. He was acquitted by the Supreme Court in June 2018.
However, in his new case with the EFCC, Saraki is to answer questions over alleged theft and laundering of public funds using a network of cronies and proxy companies.
The suspected proxies, who executed purported contracts for Kwara State under Saraki, allegedly made returns, for many years, to the former governor, forming an organised network of dirty money flow.
The funds involved were huge, running into hundreds of millions in naira and hundreds of thousands in foreign currencies at various times, sources said.
Anti-graft investigators have obtained a list of the proxy companies involved and analysed a pattern of suspicious transactions between them and Saraki.
One of them has been reportedly responsible for funding Saraki’s lifestyle, including paying over N100million to settle the bills for rent and renovation of Saraki’s Maitama residence.
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SaharaReporters, New York
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