There were indications on Thursday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had summoned former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and other Institutions, Mr. Herman Hembe, and the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Arunma Oteh.
THE PUNCH gathered that the two, who are in the centre of a bribe scandal set off by the probe of the Nigerian Capital Market, would be the guests of the anti-graft agency on Friday (today).
“They have been invited by the EFCC in connection with the N44m bribery allegations made against Hembe by Oteh and Hembe’s subsequent response that it was SEC that offered to donate N30m to his committee,” a National Assembly source informed THE PUNCH in Abuja.
But, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, declined to name Hembe and Oteh when he was asked to react to the issue.
Mohammed merely said that he was “aware that some persons have already been invited and will be going there (EFCC) tomorrow (Friday).”
The House spokesman also addressed a news conference where he gave the position of the House on the matter.
He stated that it was the view of the House that the combatants should observe an immediate ceasefire and allow the anti-graft agencies and the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges to perform their duties.
Mohammed explained that the allegations and counter-allegations from Oteh and Hembe could jeopardise the works of the anti-graft agencies and the House Committee.
He added, “The issue of corruption has been raised and investigations are already on. The EFCC is into it and the House committee has 21 days from Tuesday (next week) to submit a report of its findings.
“It is our view that both parties should observe an immediate ceasefire so that their comments do not obstruct the investigation.
“Hembe will no longer have a say in this matter because it is being investigated. The same applies to the spokesman of SEC. He should be told to stop making further comments.”
Mohammed noted that, rather than waste energy on a media war, Hembe and Oteh should prepare their defences in preparation for their appearance before the EFCC and the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
On the reported excuse by the EFCC that it might not intervene in the matter until the House had written the agency officially, Mohammed said the commission did not need any invitation to investigate corruption allegations.
“By the provisions of the EFCC Act, they do not need to be invited before going after corruption, wherever it occurs,” he added.
However, he said that the EFCC could not have made such an excuse because he was aware that the agency had begun the investigation.
Mohammed also spoke on the speculations that the House was considering the option of stopping the live coverage of public hearings.
He denied that there was such a plan, saying, “Live telecasts will continue to be part of our proceedings.”
Oteh had on Thursday last week, accused Hembe of demanding money totalling N44m from SEC to fund a public hearing on the unhealthy state of the Nigerian Capital Market.
She had also alleged that SEC gave Hembe estacode and a first class ticket to attend a capital market conference in the Dominican Republic but he did not travel for the event.
On Tuesday, however, Hembe presented documents to the House indicating that SEC, with Oteh’s approval, offered N30m to the committee, contrary to her allegation that the lawmaker demanded bribes.
But, on Wednesday, the SEC DG responded again with a letter detailing the requests believed to have been sent to the commission by the House committee.
She claimed that the agency was already processing the request for electronic payment but “smelt a rat” when it was approached a day to the hearing with a N5m cash request.
Oteh had come under scrutiny from the committee two days earlier for her alleged financial recklessness in spending N30m on hotel bills in eight months, in breach of public service rules.
She was also accused of spending N850,000 and N85,000 on feeding on separate days in the same hotel. She, however, denied the allegations.
The House referred the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation within 21 days and also asked Hembe to submit himself for investigation by the EFCC and the ICPC.
The House later set up an eight-member panel to re-start the capital market probe, following the decision of Hembe to disqualify himself and his committee from presiding over the hearing.
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