The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has quizzed
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita over
alleged N3billion contract scam.
She faced a four-day grilling
during which she was in custody of the anti-graft agency beginning from August
8. Mrs Oyo-Ita has now landed in the hospital after being granted an
administrative bail.
She was also interrogated for
alleged abuse of duty tour allowance, money laundering and stealing of
government funds.
Oyo-Ita has been given
restricted access to visitors at the private hospital in Jabi area of Abuja
where she is receiving treatment.
Although the administrative
bail was granted so that she could be reporting for further interrogation from
her office, she has not been able to return to the anti-corruption agency’s
office since she was allowed to go.
About N600million has been
traced to the account of one of her key aides who has been unable to give any
justifiable explanation for it.
The EFCC has blocked the
account and has initiated the process of obtaining an interim forfeiture clause
to seize the cash.
Preliminary findings confirmed
that about N3billion has been traced to the Head of Service which came in
through proxy companies.
Detectives, it was gathered,
uncovered slush funds linked to the Head of Service while probing the
activities of a former Minister under who she served as Permanent Secretary.
A source privy to the ongoing
investigation said: “Preliminary investigation confirmed that she used
different fronts or cronies to obtain contracts from Ministries, Departments
and Agencies (MDAs)
“While tracing embezzlement by
the ex-Minister, detectives stumbled on diversion of funds into proxy companies
which the Head of Service has relationship with.
“The startling revelations made
detectives to dig further into her activities as a Permanent Secretary and Head
of Service.
“There were proofs of how she
secured contracts through proxy firms from some ministries including Special
Duties, Power, Works and others. There was a case of abuse of office because
there was evidence of pressure on Permanent Secretaries to get her contracts.
She moved from one ministry to the other.
“Investigators also discovered
that she was involved in falsification of Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and
estacodes
“About N600million has been
traced to the account of one of her aides. This illicit account has been
blocked and the EFCC is in the process of invoking interim forfeiture clause.”
Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC
(Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004
empower the anti-graft agency to apply Interim Assets Forfeiture Clause.