Property Forfeiture: EFCC’s action, violation of subsisting court order – Saraki insists

Former senate president, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has reiterated his
position that the application to the Federal High Court, Lagos, for
interim forfeiture order on his Ilorin home by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is an abuse of the court process
and a violation of a subsisting order of the Federal High Court,
Abuja.
Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,
Yusuph Olaniyonu, on Tuesday, noted that the Federal High Court in
Abuja presided by Justice Taiwo Taiwo had given an order “restraining
the respondents (Commission) by themselves, their subordinates,
agents, servants, or privies howsoever, from seizing, impounding,
taking over, confiscating or otherwise forfeiting the Applicant’s
(Saraki) right to own and peacefully enjoy any of his assets and
properties”.
“The EFCC’s claim that the Ilorin property was built by any proceed of
fraud is outrightly false. The fact is that the Ilorin property was
built partly by the Kwara State Government pursuant to the Third
Schedule of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law
2010 while Dr. Saraki personally funded the remaining cost of the
building. There are existing letters from the Office of the Head of
Service of Kwara State notifying the former Governor (Saraki) of the
State Government’s compliance with the State Pension for Governor’s
law and the one indicating his intention to bear the cost of the
additional expenditure that will arise from building the property to
his desired taste dated 25th January 2012 and 8th February 2012
respectively.
“The construction of the building did not commence until the last few
weeks of Dr. Saraki’s tenure as Governor and the bulk of his
contribution to the funding were made with cheques. Where cash was
involved, this was mainly in 2012 and 2013, more than a year after he
had left office as Governor. So, where is the claim that the money for
the construction of the house fraudulent obtained from Kwara State
Government coming from? It should also be noted that the land on which
the house is built is not a government allocated land.
“One can only see that EFCC is playing politics and spreading
falsehood in its cheap attempt to witch-hunt and intimidate a
perceived enemy. We are also surprised that the EFCC could not even
hide its penchant for abusing the nation’s judicial institution as it
engaged in forum shopping when it filed a suit in Lagos on a property
situate in Ilorin.
“We will like to restate our earlier position that Dr. Saraki will
contest this matter in the court at least to further attest to his
belief in the rule of law, the sanctity of the courts and their
enduring readiness to do justice in all matters and to all persons”,
Olaniyonu stated.
The statement added that the usual claim by the EFCC that its actions
were directed against corrupt elements does not apply to Saraki who at
every point in his public service has sought to institute transparency
and accountability in governance.