Six members of the Oyo state House of Assembly, are under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for the sum of N1.3 billion.
The Ibadan Zonal Office of the EFCC on Monday and Tuesday, interrogated the members over a case of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of public funds, and abuse of office to the tune of over N1.3 billion.
The interrogation centred on how the Assembly purchased refurbished Toyota Camry cars (2019 model), for the state assembly members at N1.03 bn instead of new vehicles.
The members are; the Director of Administration, Kolawole Kayode; Director of Finance, Ogundipe Olanike; Paymaster, Adeoye Adebowale; Officer-in-Charge of other charges, Gbadebo Tosin; the former clerk, Felicia Oyediran and one Adenike Muraina-Akinola.
A source who was privy to the case told PUNCH;
“The suspects were questioned and allowed to go home on Monday July 5 with the exception of Adeoye Olusegun Adebowale who was detained. All the suspects returned to the EFCC Zonal Office again on Tuesday for further interrogation.”
The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren confirmed the development.
The invitation of the officials followed a petition by a former prosecutor with the Special Presidential Panel on Recovery of Public Property, Tosin Ojaomo, alleging fraud in the handling of the Oyo Assembly finances.
According to the petition dated December 7, 2020, the Oyo state House of Assembly leadership procured 33 Toyota Camry cars for the House members and the Clerk at N759m; two Toyota Hilux pick-up vans for the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, at N40m; two Toyota Prado Land Cruiser SUVs valued at N106m for the Deputy Speaker, Abiodun Fadeyi and as Ogundoyin’s back-up vehicles.
Ojaomo, in his petition, alleged that the contract was for the supply of new 2019 vehicle models but noted that refurbished models with cleaned-up mileage were supplied instead.
The lawyer claimed that the contract was fraudulently arranged to favour the contractor instead of Elizade Motors and Mandilas Motors which also tendered quotations.
He added that the alleged scam was discovered when some of the 33 cars supplied by the contractor started having mechanical and electrical problems, few days after delivery to the lawmakers.
Ojaomo, therefore, asked the EFCC to recover the full contract sum from the firm.
