The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it
is probing Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara, for allegedly diverting N70
billion meant for contracts in the state.
The anti-graft agency spoke on the investigation on Thursday
following comments credited to the Zamfara governor.
On Wednesday, Matawalle said Abdulrasheed Bawa, EFCC
chairman, should ensure that the agency’s investigation does not target only
the outgoing governors but also officials in the presidency.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, Osita Nwajah, EFCC’s
director of public affairs, said the N70 billion under probe was allegedly
diverted by the governor’s “cronies”.
“The commission would like to put the nation on notice to
expect more of the kind of wild allegations made by Matawalle as those at the
receiving end of EFCC’s investigations, fight viciously back,” he said.
“But the real issue with Matawalle is that he is being
investigated by the EFCC, over allegations of monumental corruption, award of
phantom contracts and diversion of over 70 billion.
“The money which was sourced as loan from an old generation
bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government
areas of the state, was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and
contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed.”
Nwajah said the commission’s findings have shown that more
than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of
service rendered to the state
“Some of the contractors who had been invited and quizzed by
the Commission, made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled
by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him
through his aides after converting the same to United States dollars,” he said.
“One of the contractors, a popular Abuja property developer,
collected N6 billion on a N10 billion contract without rendering any service to
Zamfara state.
“Another contractor collected over N3 billion for a contract for the supply of medical equipment but the Commission traced a payment of N400 million from his account to a Bureau de Change operator. The contractor confessed the payment was to procure the dollar equivalent allegedly for the state governor.”
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