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The attention of the Economic and
Financial Commission Crimes, EFCC has
been drawn to series of press statements
and advertorials sponsored by the
management of Mobitel Ltd in the last
couple of days in a bid to blackmail the
Commission over an on- going
investigation involving the
telecommunication firm and others.
Although it is not our style to join
issues with persons or entities we are
investigating in the media, it is
however expedient to let the public know
some facts of this matter less they are
mislead by the self-serving account of
Mobitel.
The EFCC therefore wishes to state as
follows:
The EFCC as part of on-going
investigation of some allegations of
impropriety in the Nigerian
Communications Commission, NCC invited
the President/CEO of Mobitel, Mr.
Johnson Salako over a waiver of
N242,775,000(Two Hundred and Forty Two
Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Five
Thousand Naira)only granted the
telecommunication firm by NCC in October
2008.
Mr. Salako and the chairman of Mobitel,
Mr. Adeyemi Akisanya had in their
statements during interrogation on
Monday June 22,2009 admitted that their
company got the waiver via an NCC letter
dated October 17, 2008 and promised to
refund same.
As a further confirmation of their
commitment to refund this money which
rightly belongs to the government and
people of Nigeria , Salako, few hours
after he was released on bail brought a
bank draft of N48,000,000 ( Forty Eight
Million Naira) only to the EFCC.
Thereafter, both Salako and Akisanya,
out of their own volition made
handwritten commitments to bring the
balance of the waived fees which stand
at N194,775,000.00( One Hundred and
Ninety Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and
Seventy Five Thousand Naira) only on
Thursday June 25, 2009.
Curiously and in a manner that suggests
a conspiracy of some sort to deny the
federal government its due revenue,
Mobitel reneged on its earlier
undertaking . This led the EFCC to seek
a court order to detain Salako since it
was apparent that they were out to
obstruct the course of investigation.
This was soon confirmed when both NCC
and Mobitel almost simultaneously wrote
the EFCC and attempted to justify why
Mobitel should continue to deny the
Federal government of its due revenue by
suddenly supplanting “ Waiver ” in
their previous correspondences with the
word “discount” in a futile attempt to
cover an obvious illegality.
It should be noted that no amount of
sponsored attack on the EFCC will stop
it from discharging its statutory
responsibility and ensuring that the
interest of the government and people of
Nigeria is well protected against all
forms of economic sabotage in this case
and any other of its kind .The
Commission will also ensure that all
those found culpable in this matter will
be made to face charges in due course.
Femi Babafemi
Head, Media & Publicity
5/7/2009
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