Security operatives suspected to be from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday stormed offices of the Accountant-General, and Commissioner for Finance in Ondo State presumably on the N4.3 billion scam being investigated by the state House of Assembly.
The men were said to have stormed the office of the Accountant-General, Laolu Akindolire, in the morning and subjected him to serious questioning of the finances and accounts of the state.
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Sources revealed that some vital documents were requested for by the operatives suspected to border on the recent N4.3 billion said to be discovered in a secret account belonging to the state government in Zenith Bank which was said to have been abandoned for over ten years.
The operatives were said to have also visited the state Ministry of Finance where they quizzed Wale Akinterinwa, the state Commissioner for Finance, on the same matter.
He was also asked to show some financial transaction papers on the N4.3 billion he allegedly claimed to have been discovered in the secret bank account after ten years it had been deposited.
The security operatives were said to have let go the two principal financial managers of the state after drilling them for over three hours.
It would be recalled that Daily Independent reported that the bubble bust when the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Edamisan Ademola, declared on the floor of the state House of Assembly that the Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration failed to inform the House about the N4.3 billion discovered and spent without appropriation.
Daily Independent source revealed that Akinterinwa, as Commissioner for Finance, during Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led administration, moved the N4.3 billion from current to deposit account in order to get interest on the deposit.
Daily Independent source added that when he came back as commissioner for finance for the second time, he moved the money to another account.
Between February 2, 2018 and June 28, 2018 all the money was spent.
They moved N2 billion to Wema, N1 billion to Providus, N300 million to Sterling, N600 million to another in Zenith.
They also made two withdrawals, N50 million and another N385 million.
The N4.3 billion wasn’t declared neither did it reflect in the 2019 budget or 2020 Appropriation Law.
The money was fraudulently moved as internally generated revenue (IGR) to Board of Internal Revenue and collected 25 percent from the money.
Though the operatives didn’t whisk away the accountant-general and commissioner for finance, but were told they could be invited any moment to the headquarters of the commission.
It could not be verified if the governor’s son was also quizzed by the operatives in connection with the N4.3 billion scam.
Workers in the offices of the duo in the centre of the financial scam were seen whispering in their various offices obviously discussing the development.
Meanwhile, when Daily Independent contacted Dele Oyewale, Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, he said none of their men visited the Ondo State accountant-general’s office.
*Text culled from Daily Independent
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