The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Sunday, launched an interrogation of a former Senate President, Pius Anyim, in a case of alleged corruption and diversion of public funds.
Anyim who was Senate President between 2000 and 2003, was appointed by then President Goodluck Jonathan as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in 2011, a position the 60-year-old held till 2015.
Sundry media reports quoted EFCC sources to have said that Anyim arrived at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja about 3p.m. on Sunday.
Anyim was said to be facing interrogation by operatives of the anti-graft agency as of 7 pm.
Though details of the specific allegations against Ayim were sketchy, sources said they were related to a case involving the incumbent Anambra North senator, Stella Oduah.
Ms Oduah also served as the Minister of Aviation under the Goodluck Jonathan administration from 2011 until 2014 when she was sacked based on a contract scam involving the purchase of BMW armoured cars.
She, according to EFCC sources, was being investigated over fraud allegation involving
rehabilitation fund to the tune of N780 million allegedly diverted to a company in which the former Senate President was said to have interest.
When contacted, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said he had yet to be briefed on the matter.
The EFCC is prosecuting Ms Oduah, along with Chinese construction giant, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Ltd, and other defendants on separate money-laundering charges involving N5billion.
She allegedly committed the offences in the towards the end of her tenure as the aviation minister and continued shortly after her removal as minister.
Meanwhilw, a part of PREMIUM TIMES’ series of reports on the recently leaked Pandora Papers exposed her assets hidden in tax havens.
On his part, Anyim had been named in relation to alleged financial irregularities concerning the Centenary City project in Abuja.
The House of Representatives Committee on FCT had in a report indicted him.
The report indicting Anyim was said to have been submitted to the House of Representatives by the committee led by a House member, Herman Hembe.
Denying any wrongdoing, Anyim, through his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, sued the House of Representatives in 2017.
On May 4, 2017, a judge of the FCT High Court, U. A. Musale, granted an injunction restraining the House from acting on the report. (With reports by PREMIUM Times)
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