EFCC grills ex-Senate President over N5.4B campaign funds, seizes passport

The immediate past Senate President,

According to a report by Punch, Mark interrogated for seven hours while his international passport was seized on Monday, December 18, 2017.

It was further reported that the Benue Senator, who was allowed to go on an administrative bail, was released at 7pm after he arrived the EFCC headquarters in Abuja at noon.

The serving Senator, it was also reported, is expected to return soon to the anti-graft office to answer more questions.

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The Allegations

The immediate past Senate President is expected to account for over N5.4bn slush cash and campaign funds allegedly traced to him.

The money is alleged to have been part of the $2.1bn meant for arms procurement.

Mark was also alleged to have received over N500m from the government of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

The Senator is also accused of sharing N2.9bn to his colleagues while presiding over the upper legislative chamber.

Mark's response

The former Senate President has denied all the allegations levelled against him by the anti-graft agency.

In a statement on Sunday, Mark said, “To set the records straight, Senator Mark was invited by the EFCC via a letter addressed to the National Assembly to answer questions on the 2015 presidential election campaign funds as it concerned Benue State.

“As a law-abiding citizen, Senator Mark honoured the invitation.

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“Curiously, they also alleged that the PDP paid over N2bn into the National Assembly’s account which he, as then President of the Senate, allegedly shared among the 109 senators, including PDP, Action Congress of Nigeria and All Nigerian Peoples Party (members) in 2010.

“Again, to the best of his knowledge, Senator Mark is not aware of such transactions. This simply did not make sense to any right thinking member of society.

“Senator Mark wondered why anybody would think that PDP will pay money into National Assembly account. He, however, clarified all the issues raised before returning home.”

Battle with David Onjeh

David Mark has been representing Benue-South Senatorial District since 1999 with little or no resistance.

Senator Mark's return to the Senate in 2015 was not business as usual after getting a strong resistance from All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Benue South Senatorial District, Daniel Onjeh.

Onjeh and Mark had battled for the senatorial seat in a fiercely contested election, which was finally decided by an election tribunal that had Mark emerging victorious.