The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former Minister of the Federal
Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed.
A top source in the anti-graft agency told
Punch’s correspondent on Monday that the former FCT minister was arrested
around 10.39am on Monday and taken into custody for interrogation by a team of
operatives, who were awaiting his arrival.
It was learnt that the
EFCC was investigating the ex-minister for alleged fictitious contracts worth
N1bn and the allocation of 12 properties and 37 commercial plots of land to a
suspected front of Mohammed and a controversial Abuja land swap deal put at
N1tn.
It was learnt that prior to the arrest of the
ex-minister, the EFCC had interrogated top directors of the FCT.
Those quizzed, the source added, included the
Director of Treasury, Ibrahim Bomoi, his counterpart in charge of Land,
Babayo Mainasara, and the Director in charge of Abuja Geographical Information
Service, Ms Jamila Tangaza.
The commission was also said to have quizzed
the son of the former minister, Samshudeen Bala, and one Tariq Hammoud, said to
be a front for the minister.
“His arrest is the high point of the
investigation in which the owners of 16 companies have been questioned by the
EFCC for being linked to allegations of awarding fictitious contracts,” he
stated.
It was further learnt that as the investigation
progressed, the commission seized four houses said to be owned by the former
FCT minister, and his son in August.
The commission put the value of the seized
houses at N872m.
It was learnt that commission had secured a
temporary asset forfeiture order in August to seize two houses, located at
number 1 and 3 Muktah Street, Asokoro, Abuja.
The commission was also said to have
confiscated three duplexes from the ex-minister’s son, valued at N225m.
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