From Iheanacho Nwosu, Abuja
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested and detained the managing director of a popular bank, over an alleged $115 million deal with the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
According to a source in the EFCC, the managing director, who was arrested on Monday is being quizzed over his role in the lodgement and sharing of the huge amount in the dying days of the 2015 presidential campaign.
The managing director, the source said, met Alison-Madueke at her Abuja home, where he was told that the money would be lodged in the bank and would be shared among key political actors ahead of the elections.
While Alison-Madueke was said to have paid $26 million into the account, another three individuals whose identities were not disclosed lodged $89 million to the same account.
The source added: “Mrs Alison-Madueke, days before the end of last year’s presidential campaign invited the bank MD to her Abuja home. There, they reached an agreement that a certain amount of money would be lodged in an account in his bank. The money was paid by four sources. Mrs Alison-Madueke paid $26 million while the remaining was paid by the other three sources.
“The money was later transferred to some individuals’ accounts elsewhere.”
The bank MD’s offence, the source said was that he refused to report the transaction to the appropriate authorities, in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) financial transaction rule.
EFCC is investigating a number of cases relating to questionable lodgements and spendings by political actors during the last general election.