former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that he has nothing to hide.
He said that rather than engaging in media trial, the anti-graft agency should take him to court if it felt that it had sufficient case against him.
The former minister was responding to a claim by the commission that it had commenced his probe over the ownership of certain firms.
The commission had claimed that the need for fresh investigation was as a result of allegation that el-Rufai might have acquired some companies while in office.
But el-Rufai, in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, in Abuja on Monday, said the commission was up to falsehood.
He said the minister did not have any multi-billion naira assets in any telecommunications company or in real estate anywhere.
The statement read, “Amidst the avalanche of news items about another EFCC investigation of his assets, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai wishes to notify the public that the EFCC is up to its usual pastime of dealing in innuendo and falsehood.
“Mallam El-Rufai does not have multi-billion naira assets in any telecommunications company or in real estate anywhere.
“He was a successful professional, recognised as a leader in his specialty as a quantity surveyor and able in that capacity to earn reasonable income.”
On the former minister’s economic status before taking up political appointment, he said, “Mallam el-Rufai was a dollar millionaire in his 20s, and he did not come into public service as a hungry, desperate pauper looking for loot to facilitate social climbing.
“He is justifiably proud of his professional accomplishments, and the assets and lifestyle he established before he accepted any public office.”
He flayed the commission for coming up with unsubstantiated claims.
He added, “The EFCC claimed in December 2008 that it had declared Mallam El-Rufai wanted over a purported missing N32bn proceeds from the sale of Federal Government houses in Abuja.
“It publicised this falsehood at every opportunity, but it has been unable to file charges because the N32bn claim is useful only for the purposes of besmirching the character and record of an exemplary public servant.”
He recalled that the earlier charges filed by the EFCC were quashed and dismissed by the Federal High Court, saying, “The EFCC has again filed the matter in the Abuja High Court, but that is expected to suffer the same fate.”
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