The ICPC has invited Ms Onyeka Onwenu, and an internal
auditor for interrogation on the alleged N17 million bribe. Veteran Nollywood
actress, Onyeka Onwenu, who is the
Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), has been
invited by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) alongside an internal auditor for interrogation on the
alleged N17million bribe-for-contract at the centre.
Three key officials of the NCWD were yesterday grilled by
the anti-graft agency prior to the appearance of the songstress today. They are
Mukhtar Usman, Jauro Jibrin and Sadeeq Umar.
A Deputy Director in NWCD, Chika Abazu, who is also a
Personal Assistant to Ms Onyeka, has been remanded in prison following the
alleged N17million bribery.
A source in ICPC said, "Our investigation into the
bribery scam has reached an appreciable level of interaction with Ms Onyeka
Onwenu. Actually, this invitation predated this new administration. But each
time we summoned her during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan,
she used to tell ICPC that she was either running one errand for the former
First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, or on her entourage.
"Now that we have arraigned her PA in court, we need to complete the other leg of our investigation because findings have shown that some officials of NCWD were also implicated in the bribery scandal. Fairness demands that we should hear from these officials whether or not they were involved as alleged."
Abazu, who was charged to court on July 10, 2015 before
Justice Chukwu Ndukwe of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, is facing a
six-count charge of bribery and gratification. Although he pleaded not guilty,
he was denied bail and remanded in Kuje Prison.
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