The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former kwara governor and Ex-Senate president of Nigeria, Bukola Saraki.
Saraki was grilled by the anti-graft agency in Abuja on Saturday afternoon shortly after attending a wedding ceremony over alleged theft, money laundering among other fraud related offences, DAILY GIST has gathered.
It would be recalled that between 2015 and 2019, Saraki spent a considerable time facing allegations of corruption and false declaration of assets. He was acquitted by the Supreme Court in June 2018.
However, in his new case with the EFCC, Mr Saraki is to answer questions over alleged theft and laundering of public funds using a network of cronies and proxy companies.
Reports said the alleged proxies who purportedly carried out putative contracts for Kwara State under Mr Saraki allegedly made returns to the former governor for many years, building a well-organized network of corrupt money flow.
According to insiders, the cash involved totaled hundreds of millions of naira and hundreds of thousands of dollars at various occasions.
Investigators got a list of the proxy firms involved and examined a pattern of suspected transactions involving them and Mr Saraki.
One of them is said to have been in charge of subsidizing Mr Saraki’s lifestyle, including paying over a hundred million to settle rent and repair costs at Mr Saraki’s Maitama home
The funds involved were huge, running into hundreds of millions in naira and hundreds of thousands in foreign currencies at various times.
Saraki was governor of Kwara State for eight years and Nigeria’s Senate President for four years.
