The
Senate has ordered the arrest of a former chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, for repeatedly refusing to appear
before its probe panel.
The
Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, chaired by Samuel
Anyanwu (APC-Imo East), is investigating Mr. Lamorde for alleged corruption.
The committee requested for the arrest warrant Thursday.
Mr.
Lamorde’s probe followed a petition by the chief executive of Public Alert
Security Systems, George Uboh, who accused the former EFCC boss of diverting N1
trillion of assets recovered by the anti-graft agency during his time as the
director of operations and later chairman.
Mr.
Lamorde, through a statement by the spokesperson of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, had
dismissed the allegation, questioning the motive of the Senate probe as it
began in the wake of the EFCC’s investigation of Toyin Saraki, wife of the
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over allegations of graft while her husband
governed Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.
On
November 17, 2015, Mr. Lamorde was represented by his lawyer, Festus Keyamo,
but the Senate committee refused the lawyer audience.
The
committee and Mr. Keyamo agreed on a “final date” – Tuesday, November 24, 2015
– for Mr. Lamorde to appear. However, he did not appear.
Submitting
his report on Thursday, Mr. Anyanwu said Mr. Lamorde had refused to “honour
several invitations of the committee to answer charges brought against him
while in office”.
The
recommendation that Mr. Lamorde be arrested as well as a request for warrant of
arrest on him were subsequently approved by the Senate.
-Premium Times
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