The alarm raised by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Olisa Metuh, last Tuesday in Abuja, alleging threat to his life was “unnecessary and an attempt to pre-empt his arrest’’ by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an operative of the anti-graft agency told THISDAY last night.
“We have been able to established that two of his registered companies were used to launder money to some key members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He has several questions to answer. And we will soon invite him officially for interrogation.
“We believe the alarm he raised on Tuesday was unnecessary and it was an attempt to pre-empt our move. But he has failed. Some of these suspects believe they can use the media to forestall our determination to get them to account for their dirty deals and it would not work for them,’’ the EFCC source stated.
The operative of the EFCC who is deeply involved in the ongoing investigation of many of the suspects linked to the alleged arms deals by the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), further told THISDAY that more of the “key leaders of the PDP, including a member of the party’s board of trustees,’’ would soon be invited for interrogation.
“One or two of them are currently outside the country; we have requested them to come and clarify some issues suspected to be money laundering,’’ the source added.
Metuh, during a news conference last Tuesday, had claimed that his life was under threat by some suspected federal government’s agents.
“Gentlemen, this news briefing is expedient, taken into consideration the times we find ourselves, especially as they relate to me. In the last seven months, as opposition spokesperson, I have been hounded, harassed, intimidated and threatened severally.
• “In order to avoid personal and family pressure, I had refrained from bringing them to the public domain,” Metuh had claimed.
• He alleged that recent events around him and information available to him, had given him cause to believe that some persons in power were out to eliminate him.
• The PDP’s spokesman said he had not taken any public office and that the choice of where, how and when to invest and conduct his personal business remained his prerogative.
• Metuh added: “In this regard, I note that I never had any contract dealings with the immediate past federal government or any of its security apparatus. As the National Publicity Secretary of our party, the then leader of our party and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria invited me and directed that I carry out some assignment relating to my office and he funded it.
• “It is important to note that the former president was fully satisfied with the way and manner I handled the assignment. Finally, I reiterate that the present government should not use the apparatus of state power to settle personal scores.’’
He declined answers to questions on some of the issues he raised during the press conference.
Comments
Post a Comment