EFCC TO QUIZ CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL CHAIR TODAY OVER N10M BRIBERY SAGA...

Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, is slated  for interrogation today by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N10 million bribery saga.

Commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the fresh summons on him.

On March 18, the commission, EFCC, invited Umar over an allegation that he demanded a N10 million bribe from a retired Comptroller of Customs, Rasheed Taiwo.

Taiwo was charged before the Tribunal in suit No: CCT/ABJ/03/12 for allegedly failing to declare his asset while in office.

The retired comptroller had allegedly paid N1.8 million as the first tranche of the alleged bribe, to the chairman through the account number of one Ali Abdullahi, Umar’s personal assistant, who was allegedly picked by Umar as the conduit-pipe.

Umar reportedly did not honour an invitation sent to him on December 30, 2013 by the anti-corruption commission, to respond to the bribery allegations against him.

Abdullahi had reportedly told the commission that he personally sought Taiwo’s financial assistance to meet certain medical needs.
He was said to have denied being a bribe courier but got the said amount paid into his account from Taiwo as a support for his medical treatment.

Taiwo reportedly lost his case at the Tribunal.   

Uwujaren also disclosed that the commission would respect a restraining order of a Federal High Court in Abuja, stopping it from arresting or summoning sacked judge, Justice Gladys Olotu.

Olotu, a judge of the Federal High Court, was sacked by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for misconduct.

She was summoned by the anti-corruption commission and quizzed for several hours last Tuesday for alleged possession of properties beyond legitimate earnings.

Following her release on self-recognizance, she asked the court to keep the commission off her back, a request which was granted by her former colleague.

She is also in court against NJC, challenging her sack. She was to return to the commission on April 1. Uwujaren said the rule of law would be respected.