EFCC officials walked out of public hearing of their boss following 'unacceptable' comment

dimeji akinloye

August 26, 2015 6:59 PM

Lamorde was summoned for questioning after one George Uboh brought a N1 trillion scam petitions against him.

Former EFCC Chief, Ibrahim Lamorde.

Following Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition's insistence on proceeding with the probe of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, officials of the agency who attended the public hearing of their boss on Wednesday, August 26, were walked out.

Lamorde was summoned for questioning after one George Uboh brought a N1 trillion scam petitions against him, and also alleging that the EFCC Chief gave some of the choice properties seized from former Bayelsa State governor, DSP Alamieyesigha and others, to his younger brother, Usman Lamorde.

The officials of the anti-graft agency led by its Head of Legal Services, Chile Okoroma had sought for audience to comment on the hearing after which the committee Chairman, Senator Samuel Anyanwu ( PDP Imo East), asked that he should identify himself and his colleagues.

The Chairman was displeased after learning the Okoroma and co. are from the EFCC, particularly because the agency had earlier forwarded an official letter to the committee earlier in the day for extension of date of appearance of its chairman, Lamorde before the committee in respect of the petition.

But that did not stop Okoroma from making his comment, despite that fact that he was not permitted to do so. He described the hearing as unjust and contrary to the law, adding that “it is very wrong for a petitioner to be heard publicly in the absence of the person the petition is against.”

His comment did not go down well with a member of the committee, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim ( APC Kwara South) who requested that the EFCC officials should be walked out of the from the session.

He said, "Mr Chairman, in line with our tradition and relevant rules governing this type of session, since Okoroma and the other EFCC officials here , are not known to have been here in the first place, but decided to be here and even went ahead to start commenting without being administered oath for that purpose, I move that the Chairman walk them out of the session”

The motion was granted by the committee chairman as he asked the three EFCC officials and other lawyers who accompanied them to immediately leave the venue of the hearing session.

dimeji akinloye