The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has promised that the clean bill given to the leadership of the House of Representatives by lawmakers who probed the N2.3 billion car scandal has no effect on its investigation.
The report presented last Thursday by the House Ethics and Privileges Committee absolved Speaker Dimeji Bankole and National Assembly (NASS) Clerk, Nasir Arab, of any wrongdoing.
In turn, it recommended sanctions against legislators who pushed for the investigation.
However, EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, insisted on Monday that "the Committee report has nothing to do with the investigation of the EFCC" which wants to ascertain the truth.
In the mean time, the House has reportedly initiated moves to reclaim cars from those whose elections have been quashed by the courts.
A total 380 cars were bought for a total 360 House members, and the opponents of Bankole may demand an inventory.
The Committee explained in its report that the extra 20 cars were given free to the lawmakers by the Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN).
The EFCC had begun a probe of the scam when human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo, petitioned over House’s transaction with PAN, alleging fraud.
A new twist was added to the story at the weekend when it emerged that the NASS management administered an oath of secrecy on its workers because of the allegation that Keyamo presented forged bank documents to the Ethics and Privileges Committee.
Keyamo may even be prosecuted for forgery and perjury if the House accepts this week the report of the Committee, which said the letter he wrote to Bankole was in bad faith as "(he) did not seek to authenticate the document relied upon" and "the origin of the document which formed the annexure to (his) petition is seriously questionable."
The panel recommended that "having found that Keyamo’s letter is faulty and baseless in its allegations, the House (should) prevail on the Inspector General of Police, (Mike Okiro), and/or other relevant security agencies to investigate how the annexure/documents attached to Keyamo’s letter were obtained."
The recommendations were based on the allegation that Keyamo forged the 2006 price list of Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN), which he used to justify discrepancies in the prices of the cars.
Besides, he may have a case to answer over payment vouchers he presented that allegedly contained discrepancies and did not have Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) cheque numbers.
He had claimed in his testimony to the Committee that a Zenith Bank cheque was used in the payment for the cars, a claim denied by the bank and the NASS management.
Keyamo swore on oath before the Committee that the documents he presented were authentic.
But it was learnt that Keyamo’s involvement may put the EFCC in a quandary in its own investigation as he is an EFCC counsel in other cases.
However, Keyamo insisted on Sunday that only a court of law can declare a document forged, insisting that the lawmakers should be prosecuted by the EFCC.
Said he: "They are comedians, they are very unserious fellows. The matter is subject to criminal investigation and it is the members of the House of Representatives who should be investigated for forgery because they are trying to upturn the document."
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