A top EFCC source, who made this known to Nigeria Newspapers in Abuja, said Bankole might be charged at a Federal High Court in Abuja with his former deputy; Alhaji Usman Nafada.
Pleading anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the issue, the source added that part of the N40bn was a N12bn loan the House leadership got from a first generation commercial bank just three days to the end of its tenure on June 4.
Shortly before June 4, it was discovered that the House leadership took a N10bn loan to illegally increase the quarterly allocations of its members from N28m to N42m per quarter. The anti-graft agency had also alleged at the peak of the controversy over the loans that the House leadership also secured a N15bn loan and other facilities.
He claimed that the two men would have been arraigned on Monday (today) but for the fact that Nafada had an accident while driving to the EFCC headquarters to honour a fresh invitation.
The former deputy speaker, according to him, was receiving treatment at an Abuja hospital where he is under surveillance by the commission’s operatives.
Our source said Nafada “is likely to be arraigned once he is discharged from the hospital along side the former speaker over the illegal procurement of a N40bn loan and misappropriation of same.”
The EFCC had on June 8 invited the former deputy speaker; former House leader, Mr. Tunde Akogun; his deputy, Mr. Shehu Agaie; ex-Minority Deputy Whip, Suleiman Kawu; and a former leader of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, now a Senator, Ali Ndume, for interrogation.
Although they were later granted bail the same day, their travel documents were, however, seized.
The EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, had explained that the former principal officers of the House were invited based on allegations in which their names featured.
Bankole was arrested in Abuja on June 5 but on June 7, the anti-graft commission arraigned him on a 16-count charge bordering on contract inflation amounting to N894m.
Before the House ended its tenure on June 4, it was discovered that it took the N10bn loan to illegally increase the quarterly allocations of its members from N28m to N42m per quarter.
Bankole, through his spokesman, Mr. Idowu Bakare, acknowledged before his arrest that the House, indeed, took the N10bn facility.
But he claimed that neither Nafada nor himself benefited from it as they still collected their old quarterly allocations of N100m and N80m respectively.
According to Bankole, the House leader’s share was hiked from N46m to N60m; Nafada, N43m to N57m; Chief Whip, N41m to N55m; his deputy N40.5m to N54.5m; and Minority Whip, N36m to N50m.
When contacted on the N40bn loan, Babafemi, said he could only confirm that Nafada was being detained in connection with a different case.
The EFCC, in a suit filed by its counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo, said Bankole and other principal officers of the House, hiked the cost of vehicles, television sets, desktops, Sharp digital copiers amongst others, thereby breaching the Public Procurement Act No. 14 of 2007.
The items included three Mercedes Benz S-600 cars, two Range Rover SUVs, 400 television sets, 100 units of photocopying machines, computer units, scanners and other accessories.
A member of the House at the time, Mr. Dino Melaye, and his colleagues who were suspended by the House following disagreements in the House had claimed that the spending of the N9bn capital budget of the House in 2008/2009 lacked transparency.
His also raised some dusts on the N2.3bn car purchase for members of the House, for which it forwarded a petition to the EFCC.
Source: http:///dimeji-bankole-usmannafada-may-face-n40bn-loan-charge/
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