Reports suggest that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has resolved to prosecute former secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.
This is as the EFCC submitted a report of its investigation into allegations of fraud against the former secretary to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, by Acting Chairman of the anti-graft commission, Ibrahim Magu.
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Mr. Babachir had been accused of looting the funds of the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE) through several front companies.
The former secretary had however denied all the allegations against him.
According to THISDAY newspaper, the EFCC report indicted Babachir Lawal as confirmed by sources within the Ministry of Justice.
The report further confirmed that the former secretary had a case to answer regarding some of the allegations before a competent court of law.
Earlier on October 30, 2017, a committee set up by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to investigate Lawal on allegations of fraud had recommended his dismissal from service.
The report had been received by Buhari after which he was removed from office via a memo from the Presidency.
The EFCC report discovered that PINE received N16.9 billion between November 2015 and November 2017, of which 11.6bn was spent on contracts allocated to front companies; the contract award process was found to have breached due process.
It was further discovered that the companies that weren’t fronts for Lawal were forced to pay several monies as kickbacks to the firms used by the former SGF.
The EFCC report fingered Rholavision as the main company used to steal the funds having matched the ex-SGF’s Bank Verification Number (BVN) to the company account; he was also found to be the main signatory to the company account.
The report revealed further that 5% of PINE expenditure (N566 million) went to the coffers of Rholavision and another company known as Bards Brothers.
The report recommended that Babachir Lawal be tried on charges of breach of trust, conspiracy and stealing.