The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday interrogated the Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of three leading banks in the country.
The banks Chief Executives quizzed by the anti-graft agency in connection with the over N44 billion fraud allegedly uncovered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation include those of are Zenith Bank, Providus Bank and Jaiz Bank.
The three top bank executives were quizzed by EFCC interrogators at the commission’s headquarters situated at Jabi, Abuja as of 4.55 pm on Tuesday.
A source at the EFCC who confirmed the probe of the top bank executives said that Zenith, Providus, and Jaiz banks weree being questioned over the N44.5bn fraud uncovered in the ministry involving Edu and Halima Shehu.
According to the EFCC source; “The CEOs and MDs of Zenith Bank, Providus Bank, and Jaiz Bank are being grilled by interrogators at our headquarters. They were invited and are being probed in connection with the uncovered N44bn fraud and the N585million involving Halima Shehu and Betta Edu.
“The suspended minister and the coordinator have both made some damning revelations during their interrogations in the ongoing and thorough investigation.”
Beta Edu, who was suspended by President Bola Tinubu over alleged N585m cash transfer saga and later invited by the anti-graft agency in compliance with Tinubu’s order that a comprehensive investigation encompassing her activities in the ministry be carried out.
Similarly, Edu’s predecessor, Sadiya Farouq, was also queried by the EFCC interrogators on Monday over allegations that she laundered N37.1 billion while serving as a minister in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.
In the same vein, Halima Shehu was earlier arrested in connection with an alleged N44billion money laundering and was directed to report to the EFCC every day following her administrative release last Wednesday.
She was arrested and taken into EFCC custody Tuesday night following her suspension for which it was learnt that N44bn was suspiciously moved from NSIPA’s accounts into private and corporate accounts linked to persons serving as fronts.
Confirming her release from EFCC custody in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale said Shehu has been mandated to meet with EFCC interrogators every day as the investigation continues.
Oyewale said; “Halima Shehu has been released, but she is still answering to our interrogators, and she has been mandated to meet with investigators every day as the investigation is ongoing.
“Concerning reports on the N44bn and N30bn making the rounds, the commission is still tracing all the suspicious transactions, her agency was under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs too.
“There’s a lot of money involved because the Ministry and agencies are focused on interventions. Hence, we can’t put a figure to all of the transactions now because the commission is still tracing the transactions.”
…Sourced from The PUNCH.
