Daily Independent (Lagos)
Wale Igbintade
6 July 2009
Lagos — Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has vowed that no amount of "sponsored attack" on it would stop it from ensuring that those found culpable in the case against Mobitel Nigeria Limited faced the wrath of the law.
A statement by the commission's Head of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, in Abuja stated that all those found culpable in the matter will be made to face charges in due course.
The statement reads in part: "The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to series of press statements and advertorials sponsored by the management of Mobitel Ltd in the last couple of days in a bid to blackmail the commission over an ongoing investigation involving the telecommunication firm and others".
The statement added that while it was not EFCC's style to join issues with persons or entities, "it is however expedient to let the public know some facts of this matter in order not to be mislead".
It explained that "the EFCC as part of on-going investigation of some allegations of impropriety in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) invited the President/CEO of Mobitel, Johnson Salako, over a waiver of N242,775,000 only granted the telecommunication firm by NCC in October 2008.
"Salako and the chairman of Mobitel, Adeyemi Akisanya, had in their statements during interrogation on Monday June 22, 2009 admitted that their company got the waiver via an NCC letter dated October 17, 2008 and promised to refund same."
The statement further alleged that as a further confirmation of their commitment to refund this money which rightly belongs to the government, Salako, few hours after he was released on bail, brought a bank draft of N48,000,000 to the EFCC.
Besides, the commission stated that thereafter, both Salako and Akisanya, out of their own volition, made handwritten commitments to bring the balance of the waived fees which stand at N194,775,000.00 on June 25.
"Curiously and in a manner that suggests a conspiracy of some sort to deny the Federal Government its due revenue, Mobitel reneged on its earlier undertaking."
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