Erstwhile Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Alhaji Ibrahim Lamorde may be arrested for consistently evading Senate Committee’s invitation to respond to a petition which bothers on embezzlement of funds recovered during his tenure.
The development follows Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions report to the plenary on Thursday, stating that the Committee has invited Ibrahim Lamorde on several occasions without his response, while also seeking the Senate’s consideration for appropriate sanction.
“That the Senate do consider the report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions in respect of a petition from Dr. George Uboh against the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde for alleged financial crimes and corruption,” Anyanwu submitted.
The Committee Chairman alleged that Ibrahim Lamorde moved millions in local and foreign currency recovered by the Commission from Recovery Accounts to Operations Accounts from where he had access to divert those funds.
“Our investigation shows that Mr Ibrahim Lamorde transferred money which the EFCC recovered in foreign and Local currency from Recovery Accounts to Operations Account from where he diverted the said money,”he noted.
”I want to say with emphasis that the EFCC under Lamorde traded with recovered funds and colludds with real estate companies to undervalue seized assets before they were sold to their cronies,” he maintained
On his response to the Committee’s invitation, Anyanwu said Lamorde had written through his Special Assistant particularly on 30th September, 2015 asking for a more convenient time, and in the Committee’s view, he used the period to sneak out of the Country.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu while making reference to the relevant sections of Senate Standing Rules as to the powers of investigation, submitted that warrant of arrest be issued on the former EFCC boss.
The Senate President, in his remark commended the Committee for a detailed job, asking that it should go ahead and compel Lamorde to appear before it through warrant of arrest.
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