The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that it questioned the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, in its ongoing probe of the activities of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
But the anti-graft agency explained that Gbajabiamila was neither arrested nor detained, saying he only voluntarily honoured an invitation from its investigators.
This was disclosed by the commission in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Media and Public Communications, Demola Bakare, after the presidential aide’s visit to its headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
According to the commission, Gbajabiamila was invited to assist investigators in determining how the alleged council operated from the Federal Secretariat, Abuja for about two years without being created by any law or presidential proclamation.
The Chief of Staff turned up at the ICPC headquarters on Monday afternoon, answered questions from investigators and left after the session, the ICPC said.
“Mr Gbajabiamila came to the Commission in the afternoon, spent some time answering questions from investigators and left the premises,” the statement said.
The commission stressed that his appearance was a part of its fact-finding exercise.
“The Commission reiterates that the visit by the Chief of Staff was at the invitation of its investigators and during the course of its continuing work to gather all relevant facts in the matter. He was not arrested; he simply honoured an invitation freely,” the ICPC added.
Investigations were continuing and further updates would be provided when necessary, it said. The commission did not disclose any information about the questions posed to the presidential aide.
Earlier, the lawyer for Gbajabiamila, Jiti Ogunye, confirmed that his client appeared before ICPC investigators on Monday.
Ogunye said the Chief of Staff visited the commission around 3 pm in compliance with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
“My client testified, answered questions as appropriate, and has gone back to his duty post,” Ogunye said.
President orders probe
Earlier, President Tinubu had directed the ICPC to investigate the alleged fake agency and submit its report within 30 days.
The Federal Government has since disowned the PFIPC, describing it as an unauthorised entity allegedly operated by Adeniyi Adeyemi, who is accused of portraying himself as its Director-General.
The controversy followed Adeyemi’s alleged claim that he paid bribes totaling ₦400 million to establish and run the purported agency, including money he said he paid to someone he thought was Gbajabiamila.
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Gbajabiamila has denied taking any bribe and also said he was the one who reported Adeyemi and the alleged activities of the purported agency to the police.
The emphasis is on the way the alleged organisation functioned in the bureaucracy of the Federal Government with no recognised legal basis.
The body is also accused of securing office space in the Federal Secretariat, obtaining budgetary allocations, opening accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and employing public servants using official government documents, an allegation being investigated by authorities.
The House of Representatives is also carrying out its own investigation into the legal status and operations of the purported council.
Adeyemi is also facing criminal charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged operation of the purported agency.
He and two other suspects, who are believed to be on the run, have been charged by police with conspiracy and forgery of official government documents.
Among the allegations is that ADEFEMI falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the PFIPC.
Later, the court issued a warrant for his arrest after he repeatedly failed to show up for trial. He is presently in police custody.
In a separate civil suit, Gbajabiamila has filed a ₦15 billion defamation suit against Adeyemi, seeking damages over the bribery allegations after previously asking him to retract the claims and apologise.
Adeyemi’s allegations are still sub judice before the court and are awaiting determination.
