The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has made it clear that the allegation of N10m bribery case against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Mr. Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar is based on rumour. The EFCC said that the evidence against him is not weighty and not sufficient to sustain a possible prosecution.The anti-graft body claimed that the facts against the CCT Chairman raised just mere suspicion which in law, cannot take the place of proof, adding: “the facts as they are now against Justice Umar raised a mere suspicion and will therefore not be sufficient to successfully prosecute for the offence.”
In a memorandum forwarded to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), on March 5, 2015, the EFCC, however, confirmed that one Ali Gambo Abdullahi, a Personal Assistant to the CCT boss admitted receiving N1.8m in 2012 from one Rasheed Taiwo standing trial at the tribunal.
The said Abdullahi was alleged to have used his salary account at Zenith Bank to collect the graft.
In the letter with a Reference No EFCC/EC/SGF/03/56 (dated March 5, 2015) and personally signed by the immediate past Executive Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, the complainant in the bribery saga, Mr. Rasheed Taiwo, a retired Deputy Comptroller General of Customs was said to have failed to produce the alleged telephone conversations and text messages exchanged by him and Justice Umar.
The Former Customs Chief was said to have persistently claimed that he had lost his phone since 2012 and could not trace or recover it.
EFCC said that the telephone of the complainant would have been subjected to independent scientific analysis with a view to corroborating the bribery allegation against the CCT boss.
Justice Umar was, however, said by EFCC to have admitted meeting the complainant in his chamber at the tribunal and that meeting was most unethical and highly suspicious conduct on the part of the chairman.
The EFCC letter was entitled “Investigation Report on N10m bribery allegation against the chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja” [myad]
