About
100 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials are
likely to face trial for indictment in the N23.29b bribe during the 2015
elections.
They will face internal disciplinary
action before being handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) for prosecution, The Nation learnt.
EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu and INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu are to meet on the interim report on the scandal.
The report, The Nation learnt, indicts two Resident Electoral Commissioners – Gesil Khan, Mr. Slyvester Ezeani – 16 directors and 82 others.
Some of those indicted have refunded money and a few others have their assets confiscated by EFCC.
A source in the EFCC, who spoke in
confidence, said: “We are set for the trial of the indicted INEC
officials. We are making the interim report of our investigation
available to INEC any moment from now.
“We have a major challenge in INEC. The
electoral commission said its rules and regulations do not allow it to
hand over the indicted officers to the EFCC for prosecution.
“It said once a report is filed by the
anti-graft commission, the INEC management will invoke internal
disciplinary mechanism since the allegations are on election matters.
After the disciplinary action, the EFCC can arraign them in court.
“We are trying to follow due process as
much as possible. So far, INEC has cooperated in releasing all those
invited for questioning.
“Once the EFCC and INEC chairmen meet in the next few days, we will then know where we are going.”
A National Commissioner, who spoke in
confidence, said: “We are awaiting the report of the EFCC and when we
get it, we will subject the affected officials to our internal process.
We are operating in a democratic environment and we have to observe due
process in whatever we are doing.
“So far, we have lived up to
expectations in handing over any INEC officials implicated to EFCC for
interrogation, we have not shielded anybody no matter how highly placed.
“We have also taken pre-emptive steps to
check these 100 employees. We have exempted them from sensitive
operations of the commission pending the conclusion of investigation and
the outcome of their trial if any.
The EFCC has been probing the embattled
former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, on
her alleged involvement in a $115m (N23, 299,705,000billion) 2015 poll
bribery scandal.
About four oil firms, 14 directors of oil companies, two banks and some politicians are under probe.
Some INEC officials already grilled are
REC Gesil Khan for allegedly collecting N185, 842,000 out of a
N681million bribe; 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 the Head of Voter Education in INEC in Akwa
Ibom, Immaculata Asuquo—N214,127,000.
Also, a retired INEC official, Sani
Isa, was grilled over alleged N 406,206,000 bribe allegedly collected
on behalf of the deceased Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kano
State, Alhaji Mukaila Abdullahi.
Those grilled in Gombe are: Godwin
Maiyaki Gambo Balanga, Bukar Alone Benisheik, Dukku, Jibril. B.
Muhammed,Billiri, Dunguma Musa Dogona, Funakaye, Mohammed. A. Wanka,
Kaltungo, Ishaku Yusuf, Kwami, Suleiman Isawa, Nafada, Babagana Malami,
Shongom, and Nuhu Samuel, Y/Deba.
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