Kogi State Government has debunked an allegation of money laundering levelled against the state by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo In a statement on Thursday in Lokoja, described the allegation as sustenance of the persecution of the government by the Abdulrasheed Bawa-led EFCC.
The response from the commissioner was in reaction to a press statement allegedly posted on the website of the EFCC to the effect that they arraigned some persons who they alleged were linked with laundering monies belonging to the Government of Kogi State.
The statement observed that the commission, with its present allegations, had shown clearly that it was desperately seeking to save its face after the commission hit a roadblock in its N20bn Sterling Bank media trial.
The commissioner lamented that with the Sterling Bank affair some time ago, the Commission went to the media before proper investigation, stating that the EFCC was again set to embarrass itself and its legacy by jumping to the media to continue its persecution of the Kogi government.
While insisting that no money belonging to the Kogi State Government was laundered, the Commissioner insisted that Nigerians should ask the EFCC if its “biased” corruption searchlight was only meant for Kogi State.
The Commissioner noted that the inclination of the EFCC was against the acknowledgement of due process and financial accountability given to the Kogi State Government by international organisations.
It particularly cited the recent honour accorded the Kogi State Government by the World Bank-funded SFTAS project in which Kogi was lifted above peers in financial accountability.
