Arms Deal Scandal: Drama as Olu Falae indicts Jonathan

In order to clear his name in the ongoing corruption-related charges against him, Chief Olu Falae has submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) an email correspondence between him and a former chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih.

Chief Falae tendered the email as an evidence in the probe linking him to N100m election funds as the EFCC close in on him. 

In the said email, Chief Anenih mentioned that he was acting on the instruction of former President Goodluck Jonathan to disburse the funds. 

A source at the EFCC told The Punch that in the email dated March 2015, Anenih informed Falae that N100m had been approved by Jonathan and would be handed over to him (Falae).

“In the email, Anenih told Chief Falae, who is the chairman of the SDP that N100m had been approved by President Jonathan as part of the agreement between the PDP and the SDP ahead of the presidential election. 

“He further urged Falae to provide an account which the money would be paid into,” the source said. 

The N100m, which was said to have emanated from the imprest account of the ONSA in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). 

It was paid into the account of Marreco Limited, a company where Falae is chairman. The fund was credited into the company’s United Bank for Africa Plc account, 1000627022, on March 25, 2015.

Former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki is still under detention trying to clear his name.

Spokesman for Falae, Mr Alfa Mohammed confirmed that Falae had submitted all correspondence between Falae and the PDP.

“We had a letter of agreement between the PDP and the SDP regarding cooperation between the two parties for the election. 

“There was an email from Anenih stating that Mr. President (Jonathan) told him to transfer the money to that effect. 

“We have submitted everything to the EFCC, but the EFCC has not deemed it fit to invite Anenih which shows that it is people within the All Progressives Congress that are just trying to rubbish the image of Chief Falae, who has served meritoriously as a permanent secretary, a SGF and a finance minister,” Mohammed said.

Mohammed went on to say the PDP still owed the SDP about N70m and it was unrealistic of the EFCC to ask Falae to return the N100m, adding that Falae could not have known at that time that the money emanated from the ONSA and thus could not be declared guilty. 

Attempts to reach Mr  Ikechukwu Eze, spokesman for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Anenih’s spokesman, Mr Ojeifo Sufuyan to get their reaction on the issue were not successful.