He was said to have played a role in disbursing the funds which reportedly emanated from a former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke
The EFCC has arrested Mr Austin Umahi, the brother of the Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi over the role he played in disbursing funds reportedly used to bribe electoral officers during the 2015 elections.
Ebonyi state goveror, Dave Umahi
The funds were said to have emanated from a former minister of petroleum resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, The Punch reports.
The EFCC also arrested two other associates of Austin, which names were given as Chinyere Egwuche and Mabel Dikibo.
According to the anti-graft agency, the trio received N400m from Mrs Alison-Madueke through Senator Nenadi Usman who was the director of finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation.
Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke,
former petroleum minister
“On Monday August 29, 2016, we arrested one Austin Umahi, a brother to the current governor of Ebonyi state along with two others: Chinyere Egwuche and Mabel Dikibo over a N400m slush fund linked to the 2015 presidential campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“The suspects, all employees of Brass Engineering & Construction Nigeria Limited and Osborn La-Palm Royal Resort, were arrested, following their refusal to collect and honour invitation by the EFCC, for questioning in an ongoing investigation involving both companies.
“While Austin Umahi doubles as the chairman of both companies, Chinyere Egwuche and Marbel Dikibo are also signatories to the companies’ accounts.
“The N400m was released by the director of finance, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, to the PDP Ebonyi state, for the 2015 presidential election, but the said fund was moved from Fidelity Bank, Abakaliki where it was initially deposited on March 27, 2015, to an Access Bank Abakaliki account, where one Maxwell Umahi further moved N100m and N300m respectively into the accounts of Brass Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited and Osborn La-Palm Royal Resort respectively,”a source at the EFCC was quoted as saying.
Part of the funds were said to have been used to further finance construction of Osborn La-Palm Hotels in Abakaliki, Uburu and Port Harcourt, while the N100m paid into the account of Brass Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited was transferred to a certain David Umahi Faith Foundation.
“Though investigation is still ongoing, the above mentioned companies have been traced to the Ebonyi state governor,”the EFCC source added.
Responding to the allegations, the governor’s spokesman, Mr Emma Anya, denied that the governor’s brother was in the EFCC custody, while also absolving the governor of blame.
“Mr. Austin will respond accordingly on a later date. However, as I speak with you, he is currently in Port Harcourt and not in the custody of the EFCC.
“The governor divested his interests in the companies as required by law and thus committed no crime,”Anya said.
Meanwhile, the number of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff quizzed by EFCC on the election bribery has risen to about 100.
Some INEC officers already grilled are REC Gesil Khan for collecting N185, 842,000 out of a N681million bribe deal; Fidelia Omoile( electoral officer in Isoko-South local government area of Delta state)—N112,480,000 ; Uluochi Obi Brown( INEC’s administrative secretary in Delta state)—N111,500,000; a former deputy director of INEC in Cross river state, Edem Okon Effanga—N241,127,000 and others.
Just yesterday, August 30, media reports stated that an official of INEC; Sylvester Ezeani, who is the Abia state Resident Electoral Commissioner has returned N20million to the EFCCas part of the largesse he received during the election period.
In a related development, the EFCC has initiated a process for the seizure of the assets of Mrs Alison-Madueke in the United States of America.
EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu has just returned from a trip to the US where he was said to have discussed with the authorities in the country on how to seize the properties.
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