EFCC to probe Amnesty programme

•Orders Kuku to appear for questioning July 28
•I’m ready for probe, Kuku replies from America

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) has started probing the activities of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and has invited immediate past Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, for questioning on July 28.

On his part, Kuku,  has said that he is ready to assist the anti-graft agency in its bid to probe the accounts of the agency under his leadership.

Kuku, who spoke from the United States of America where he is undergoing a medical procedure, said that the allegations of conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and diversion of public funds being made against him, did not arise as the records of his administration were clear and available for scrutiny.

“I’m currently in the U.S for an urgent surgery on my knee and will certainly return to honour the EFCC invitation once I recuperate in September. The record of my stewardship under the Presidential Amnesty Programme is an open document and it is available for scrutiny since I have nothing to hide about what we did,” Kuku said on the phone.

The former presidential aide was responding to an invitation by the EFCC, directing him to report to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja for questioning on July 28, 2015 by one of its operatives named, Chris Owobu, over allegation of diverting public funds running into hundreds of millions of Naira.

The EFCC letter with ref: CR 3000/EFCC/ABJ/EG/T7/vol.25/263 and dated July 22, was signed by the Head of Economic Governance, Olufunke Adetayo Ogunbode and was sent and received by the Presidential Amnesty Office in Maitama, same day.

In it, the EFCC said: “The commission is conducting an inquiry into a case of conspiracy, stealing, diversion of public funds and abuse of public office involving you.

“In view of the above, you are kindly expected to be interviewed by the undersigned through Chris Owobu on Tuesday July 28, 2015 at No 5 Formella Street, off Adetokumbo Ademola Crescent Wuse 2, Abuja at 10 am.

“Kindly accept the assurances of the Executive Chairman’s best wishes and highest regards, please,” the invitation letter said.

But Kuku, who is outside the country on medical grounds, wrote back to the EFCC that he was indisposed to appear before the commission on July 28, since he was scheduled for an operation on July 30, at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Centre, United States.

Kuku’s letter to the EFCC dated July 24, 2015 was signed by his lawyer, Chief Karina Tunyan, SAN.

The lawyer wrote: “Our client is currently in the United States of America to keep appointment with his doctors at the Andrew Sports Medicine and ‘Orthopaedic Centre for surgery on one of his knees.

“He is expected back in Nigeria at the end of September, 2015 after the surgery and recuperation. He will definitely report in your office as a law-abiding citizen by 10.am on 30th of September, 2015,” the lawyer explained.

The documents from the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Centre were also attached by the lawyer for the attention of the EFCC.

The Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the invitation extended to Kuku by the commission.