Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has concluded arrangements to arraign the immediate past governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed before the Federal High Court, sitting in Ilorin, the state capital today.
LEADERSHIP Friday can authoritatively report that Ahmed and the commissioner of finance during his tenure, Engr Ademola Banu will be charged to court today for sundry issues bordering on alleged mismanagement of public funds.
Ahmed had been in the custody of the EFCC in Ilorin since Monday when he reported at the facility upon an invitation by the agency.
The former governor will be facing 12-count charge bordering on alleged mismanagement of public funds running into billions of naira during his tenure between 2015- 2019 while Banu will be facing 11- count charge also bordering on mismanagement of public fund while he served under Ahmed’s administration as commissioner for finance.
Ahmed is also accused of failing to make a declaration in the Assets Declaration Form supplied to him by the officers of the EFCC after he was arrested on Monday.
The chief press secretary to Ahmed, Alhaji Oba AbdulWahab, who had on Monday described the invitation extended to his boss by the EFCC as procedural, however, sounded disturbed on Tuesday when he expressed frustration over the continued detention of the former governor by the EFCC.
In his response to an inquiry on Tuesday, Oba said, “Yes, he (Ahmed) is still with the EFCC and we are now at a dilemma over the issue because they keep changing the goal post during the match. The case is taking a new dimension which we don’t really understand for now.
“Initially they said they wanted him to produce two sureties who are federal directors. The sureties came and were asked to provide landed properties in Abuja. We see this as a contradiction. The case was initially handled by the EFCC office in Abuja before it was transferred to Ilorin over the issue of jurisdiction. Additionally, he has been denied access to his doctors, medication and direct access to his cook.”
He charged the EFCC to follow due process and be seen to be transparent in their handling of the case as the former governor has never defaulted in all previous invitations extended to him by the commission.
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