The loan was obtained for the purchase of the ‘luxury vehicles meant for use by ‘VIP’ with an extended repayment plans, beginning from December 2016.
Sources at the Sky Bank Plc confirmed that the vehicles were purchased with the loan as part of the transportation plans for the 2014/15 Jonathan/Sambo electioneering campaigns.
From the documents cited at the headquarters of the bank, in Lagos, it was learnt that Skye Bank released the loan in five tranches in line with the time invoices were produced by the suppliers.
The sources said that some of the vehicles that came into the campaign pool were donations or were purchased with party funds and that they have already been distributed or returned to the owners while the seized vehicles were being kept in Abuja in the custody of the former PS that facilitated the loan.
It was learn that the vehicles were being positioned to be sold and proceeds committed to the repayment of the loan.
A senior manager at Skye Bank who confirmed the loan said that the bank had in statements made to EFCC September 2016, supplied all the evidences concerning the transactions to the anti-graft agency.
The manager who preferred to remain anonymous, said that no default has been recorded since the repayment was billed to start December 2016, “had EFCC not taken interest in the transactions.”
A high ranking member of the People’s Democratic party (PDP), High chief Abel Odoko, wondered why EFCC would go into “sensational media trial on a matter that was concluded many months ago.”
The chieftain who claimed to be very conversant with the case, debunked the claim that the sum of N1.5 billion with which the vehicles were acquired was allegedly sourced from the diverted N27 billion insurance premium of deceased workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
“First, it is not true that the former permanent secretary took 40 government SUVs for himself. After 24 hours, its 45 or 47 and he bought them for Jonathan/Sambo Campaign. First, vehicle were parked in his house, now they are parked in a yard. If investigators are credible, why so much “confidential sources ” leaking out so much? Why the sudden massive media hype if it’s not sponsored witch-hunting? Why always dragging in the name of GEJ into everything negative?”
He wondered why despite the disclosure by the bank, from which the loan was taken, the government is silent on the transactions.
“Why are government officials silent on the fact that a loan was obtained and rather quoting other sources? Is the intention to scandalise specific people for whatever reasons and achieve cheap political objectives? Is it professional practice in investigations of this type to be releasing findings in bits without conclusions? Why has the minister of information suddenly become spokesman for EFCC?.”
According to him, EFCC came into the matter only after it discovered that Baseworth Insurance Brokers, a company the anti-graft agency had been investigating, had also contributed N300 Million to the said loan which was co-ordinated by Skye bank.
“It was only then that the agency insisted on recovering the money by taking possession of the vehicles to which no one objected.”
He said that this was the settlement reached with the anti-graft agency about four months ago but “only for contrived stories scandalizing our party and former President Goodluck Jonathan and people close to him to resurface in the media, days before the new year.”
He said that the claim of a pending trial of ex-permanent secretary, Igali was borne out of mischief.
“It does not arise because it has been clearly established that the vehicles were purchased with a bank loan. If EFCC is investigating any other matter, our party is not against it as long as due process and fairness are followed. The PDP as a party, is not against President Buhari’s fight against corruption war. The PDP government believes in curtailing the scourge of corruption in the country that is why the government established the ICPC and the EFCC.
“We are fully in support of the anti-corruption war but it must be done in line with the principle of equity, without victimization.” [myad]
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