Although the People's Democratic Party Spokesman, Olisa Metuh had time and again denied involvement in the $2bn shady arms deal, it was learnt that the EFCC has traced N1.4bn to the party chieftain's company account. Detectives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission investigating the controversial $2.1 billion arms contracts have traced N1.4billion to the account of a company allegedly linked with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman Olisa Metuh.
Indications emerged on Monday, January 4, that the account of the company, Destra Investment Limited, may be frozen when the ongoing probe gets to a “convenient bend”. The anti-graft commission has placed the activities of the company and its bank transactions under surveillance. The Department of State Service (DSS) has also invited Metuh for interaction on some issues.
The DSS’ invitation has, however, attracted protests from some PDP leaders. According to sources, EFCC investigators discovered that Destra Investment Limited was used to fund the PDP’s activities, including its 2015 campaign. The EFCC found that the company, which had N6, 676,576.06 as at November 24, 2014, recorded a balance of N1.4billion by last December.
Some of the strange deposits in the account are: N400million from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) on November 24th, 2014; N253million (December 2nd and 4th, 2014) from Ibrahim Kabiru whose identity was yet to be confirmed; N91million on 2nd December 2014 from Capital Field Investment; and N92million on 3rd December 2014 from Etonye Oyintoneife.
A source in the commission said:
“We will invite Metuh any moment from now for clarifications on some of these transactions in this firm, which he allegedly owns.
“From our records, part of the $2.1billion arms cash has been traced to Destra Investment Limited. About N400million was transferred from ONSA to the company on November 24, 2014 which had a balance of N6, 676,576.06 only before major in flow from the ONSA.
“By December 2015, the owner of Destra had a turnover of over N1.4billion. There is no document to show that the company executed any job for ONSA. All companies engaged by ONSA appeared before the initial Special Investigative Panel raised by the Presidency.
“Other documents indicated that Metuh was allegedly on a monthly unexplained stipend of N4million cash from ONSA.
“Out of the funds in Destra account, N25million was paid to Abba Dabo, a former Senior Special Assistant Political to former Vice President Namadi Sambo on the 16th of December 2014.
“Also, about N21,776,000 was remitted on 4th December 2014 to an account allegedly belonging to a former Minister of Works, Chief Tony Anenih; N31.5million to his media aide and N50 million to Metuh/Kanayo on the same transaction date.
“We have also established a link between Capital Field Investment and SEI Societe d’equipments Internanaux-Niamey-Niger BP 11737 which was hired by ONSA to purchase €3,654,121million security vehicles for the Republic of Niger in October 2013 and April 2014.”
No comments