Update: – he has just left EFCC
Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has just left the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where he visited at about 10 a.m. today in response to an invitation extended to him by the commission over allegations of financial impropriety during his tenure at the FCT Ministry.
He was granted bail on self-recognition and would be arraigned later – when courts resume from strikes.
Recall that Elombah.com published this morning that contrary to expectations, El-Rufai will not be arrested by EFCC when he appears before the anti-graft agency today. He wil be questioned and allowed to go home on personal recognition.
This was the order that came to EFCC on Monday from the Presidency.
El-Rufai, who arrived the commission in company of his wife and a retinue of aides, spoke briefly to newsmen on his visit, which he says was to clear himself of all the unfounded allegations.
Wearing a white native attire with a red cap and a pair of black sandals, el-Rufai signed the visitor’s register at the gate of the anti-graft agency at about 10:06 and made straight to the Idiagbon House which houses the operations unit of the commission.
Meanwhile it has emerged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has altered the details of the criminal charges filed against Nasiru El-Rufai, the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The charges brought against the former minister, which included the misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N32 billion naira, has now been reduced to N1.6 billion, the former minister, through his publicists, said in Abuja yesterday.
According to Muyiwa Adekeye, a media consultant to Mr. El-Rufai, the EFCC had deliberately misled the public by insinuating that it had evidence that about N32 billion of public funds had gone missing under the former minister’s watch.
The EFCC has been misleading public opinion on this matter by persistently insinuating that it has evidence that N32 billion is missing from the proceeds of the sale of public houses. After two years of lying, it is now saying that only N1.6 billion is missing, Mr. Adekeye said.
Mr. El-Rufai, returned to Nigeria over the weekend after a two-year exile. He said on Saturday that setting the records right on the EFCC allegations was his priority. He also spoke of his immediate plans to visit the offices of the anti-graft agency today.
The EFCC on Sunday, May 2, invited Mr. El-Rufai for questioning, a letter which has now been acknowledged by the former minister. The EFCC emphasised that the invitation was in connection with the alleged misappropriation of N32billion of public funds.
By yesterday, the figures of the misappropriated funds had changed. Mr. Adekeye said that the EFCC had now prepared a new report alleging that the figure was no longer N32 billion, but now N1.6 billion.