EFCC Writes Media Houses To Explain How Much They Got From Dokpesi’s N2.1Billion Media And Publicity Funds

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has written to Newspapers in Nigeria to explain how much they got from Chief Raymond Dokpesi who told controversial Arms Deal Investigators he got N2.1Billion for Media and Publicity which includes advertisement in Newspapers, Pointblanknews.com reports.

According to Pointblanknews.com, a top Newspaper Editor in Abuja said that they received the letter from the EFCC today and have already alerted their Account and Advertisement department to prepare all the necessary response to the anti-graft agency.

The EFCC letter was addressed to the Editor-In-Chief of major Newspapers in Nigeria. It is not immediately known if Electronic Media organizations also received similar letter.

It will be recalled that embattled AIT boss, Raymond Dokpesi has explained why he received N2.1 Billion from Ex National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki.

Going through Dasuki’s books, Dopkesi’s name popped. He was listed to have received the amount under no subhead, so the DSS and EFCC brought him to explain.

Initially his attorney, Mike Ozekhome, denied his client did any business with Dasuki, but after turning the screw, plus truck loads of evidence, Dokpesi sang.

Curiously he said the huge cash payment was for media and publicity cost incurred by the Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign. The question is why NSA and not the PDP national secretariat.

According to the News magazine, Dokpesi, in statement released by his company on Wednesday, explained he was invited by the chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, to “shed more light on some payments that were made to him through the office of the erstwhile National Security Adviser to the former President, Malam Sambo Dasuki”.

“Dokpesi explained to the EFCC officials that the N2.1 billion that he collected from the former NSA was payment for publicity and media political campaigns during the 2015 General Elections,” the paper quoted the statement as saying.

Mr. Dokpesi “made his statement on the various media exposures and campaign transactions which were dutifully carried out based essentially on contractual obligations/relationship”, the statement added.

The statement was however silent on why Mr. Dokpesi received payment for a political media campaign, which ordinarily should have been the prerogative of the Peoples Democratic Party (Mr Jonathan’s party), from the office of the NSA.

Following an interim report released by a presidential committee investigating arms procurement in the last administration, which revealed extra-judicial spending of up to N643.8 billion and a further $2.2 billion, the EFCC set up a special panel to probe how the monies were spent. Pointblanknews.