Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdularasheed Bawa has said former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu will be prosecuted by the agency all over again.
The anti-graft agency boss also
said he is not perturbed over the threats to his life and he is determined to
prosecute the many pending cases under trial.
Bawa disclosed this on Thursday
while addressing journalists during the weekly ministerial chat at the State
House in Abuja.
He gave insight into ongoing
prosecutions, challenges, and increasing cases of financial crimes since his
assumption into office 100 days ago.
He also clarified reports
accredited to him concerning the involvement of a Minister in the laundering of
about $37 million into real estate. He disclosed that he simply made reference
to an old case involving a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Madueke.
The EFCC
Chairman further disclosed that since his first 100 days in office, the agency
has been working on a number of proactive strategies including a special
control unit against money laundering, established particularly to address
non-designated financial institutions including car dealers, real estate,
jewellery dealers, among others.
Bawa said he
is confident that when the unit is fully established, corruption will
significantly decline in the country.
He then added
that the agency is equally working towards the development of a biometric
ownership database to address money laundering.
According to
him, most proceeds of crime are laundered through real estate and have become a
huge challenge. He gives examples of property acquired especially in Lagos,
Abuja, and Port Harcourt where billions of naira are laundered through this
means.
He, however,
declined to disclose actual perpetrators or the properties involved.
He revealed
that since his assumption, a number of recoveries have been made including
N6billion, $161million, £13,000 pounds, €1,730 among others.
Internet
fraudsters numbering 1,502 have also been apprehended between January to June
2021and efforts are underway to file about 800 of them. A hundred cases will be
filed in court.
Source: channelstv.com
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