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APC: As VP Atiku siphoned money using special purpose vehicles; Asks EFCC, ICPC to arrest candidate
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Tinubu ‘is the man that should be arrested, prosecuted for corruption, drug allegations: PDP fires back.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have engaged in a fiery exchange of words over allegations of money laundering levelled against the presidential candidate of the latter, Atiku Abubakar.
The heated exchange between both camps was fuelled by latest revelation by one Michael Achimugu who claimed to be former aide to Atiku.
Achimugu in series of videos had accused Atiku of using Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) to commit financial fraud.
Achimugu some days ago also release a purported audio conversation with the former Vice President where he (Atiku) admitted that he created organisations including Marine Float, through which he embezzled Nigeria’s money during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
Reacting to the allegations, the APC demanded that Atiku be disqualified with immediate effect, arrested and prosecuted over the money laundering allegations made by his former media aide.
This called was made at a Press Conference on Monday by the members of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council Media Directorate.
The APC presidential campaign team also issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Conduct of Conduct Bureau (CCB), to arrest the opposition leader.
Speaking on behalf of the media directorate at the press conference, spokesperson for the APC presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo said, “There were other two companies that he did not mention but he mentioned Marine Float by which they were syphoning money from the public coffers.
“From the oral account of the whistleblower, the voice note and all other documents, these are the possible infractions of law Atiku Abubakar has committed and we urge his prosecution along these areas.
“He has committed possible offences against the Code of Conduct for public offices. Check sections 5, 10, 13 and 17 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act which states as follows:
“Section 5 says, ‘A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.’ Section 13 says ‘A public officer shall not do or direct to be done in abuse of his office, any act prejudicial to the rights of any other person knowing that such act is unlawful or contrary to the government policy’.
“Section 17 says ‘a public officer who does any act prohibited by this act through a nominee, trustee or other agents shall be deemed in so facto to have committed a breach of this act’.
“There are also offences against money laundering. Section 18 of the Money Laundering, Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022 subsection 2 states as follows: ‘Any person or body corporate in or outside Nigeria who directly or indirectly conceals or disguises the origin or convert, transfers, removes from jurisdictions or acquires, uses, retains or takes possession or control of any fund or property intentionally, knowingly or reasonably have known that such fund or property is or forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, commits an offence of money laundering under this act.
“We are saying this because we understand that law enforcement agencies may be reluctant to act simply because of the perception or the persecution of the presidential candidate this may invoke.
“However, facts are sacred and the facts that have so far been presented to the world show that Atiku Abubakar has a case to answer. He has an explanation to make. He has to be arrested, invited. He is not God. He must be invited.”
In a counter reaction, the spokesperson and Director of Public Affairs, Presidential Campaign Management Committee of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Dino Melaye, rejected the calls for the withdrawal of his principal from the 2023 presidential election.
Melaye who spoke while speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, monitored by The New Diplomat, Monday, described the allegations as baseless and false.
According to Melaye, Atiku remains the most investigated Nigerian, who has always submitted himself for investigation several times in the country.
In his words, “Atiku Abubakar is a democrat, he’s a Nigerian. He has always been available for investigation. He has been investigated time and time again and come out very clean with clean status.
“So, you do not need the permission of Atiku to investigate him. We are not afraid of an investigation, because he’s the most investigated Nigerian and if you investigate him again he will come out clean,” he added.
Melaye, however, insisted that the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the person, who is expected to be investigated and prosecuted over allegations of corruption and drug dealings.
“He is the one that has been indicted already in a certified court indictment. He is the man that has faced the Code of Conduct before,” he added.
