A Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde to enter defence in the suit brought against them by the Bayelsa State government.
Bayelsa is, by the suit seeking among others, to compel the EFCC to return to it, N1.4 billion and another $1.3 million recovered from its former governor, Diepreye Alamieyesiegha.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola has directed that hearing notices be served on the commission and its Chairman and therefore fixed hearing for April 15.
A security expert, George Uboh had, upon a mandate issued him by the Bayelsa Government, to help recover the funds, initiated the suit for Bayelsa as a means of executing the mandate. Uboh is the Chief Executive of Panic Alert Security System (PASS).
The state, in its writ of summons, wants the court to declare that the failure of EFCC to remit the funds recovered from Alamieyesiegha after he was investigated and prosecuted and “subsequently trading with the funds by way of funds placement/fixed deposits is an act of corruption and an economic crime contrary to sections 6 and 7 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.
The state also asked the court to issue an order to direct the commission to immediately pay the monies with the interest which had accrued on them.
Bayelsa wants the court to declare that Lamorde who took part in the investigation and prosecution of Alamieyesiegha should not have allowed the looted funds recovered from the former governor to be traded with.
It also asked the court to hold that Lamorde was not qualified to continue in office as chairman of EFCC having violated his oath of office.
The state also urged the court to order EFCC to pay 21 per cent interest on the N1.4 billion and the $1.3 million from November 1st, 2013 until judgment was delivered by the court.
It urged the court to, “direct EFCC to pay to it $400,000.00 being the amount forfeited by its former governor and which funds had since been repatriated by the United States Government to the EFCC.”
Uboh, in a supporting affidavit, said he had written to the EFCC requesting for the monies to be paid to him within 7 days following which the commission requested him to meet with its staff on December 19, 2013.
He stated that he met with EFCC and the commission asked him for a short time to comply.
The PASS boss added that as at the beginning of this month, the commission was yet to remit the monies and that the state instructed him to sue the commission to recover the monies.
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