Bayelsa State Government has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of trading with the cash recovered from ex-Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
The state government has taken the anti-graft agency to court, urging it to compel the EFCC to release N1.4 billion and $1.3million recovered from Alamieyeseigha to it, with interest.
It is also seeking the sack of EFCC Chair Ibrahim Lamorde.
The suit is before Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In a writ of summons issued against the EFCC and Lamorde, the state urged the court to, among others, declare as corrupt act, the refusal of the commission to remit to it, the recovered funds.
It also urged the court to declare that the decision by the EFCC to continue “trading with the funds by way of funds placement/fixed deposits is an act of corruption and an economic crime contrary to sections 6 and 7 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.”
In the suit initiated by its lawyer, Anthony Agbonlahor, Bayelsa State also urged the court to direct the commission to immediately pay the monies with the interest which had accrued on them.
Bayelsa asked the court to declare that Lamorde, who took part in the investigation and prosecution of Alamieyesiegha, should not have allowed the funds recovered from the former governor to be traded with.
It urged the court to hold that Lamorde was not qualified to continue in office as chairman of EFCC, having violated his oath of office.
The state also urged the court to order EFCC to pay 21 per cent interest on the N1.4 billion and the $1.3 million from November 1st, 2013 until judgment is delivered by the court.
It pleaded with the court to “direct EFCC to pay to it $400,000.00, being the amount forfeited by its former governor and which funds had since been repatriated by the United States Government to the EFCC”.
A date is yet to be fixed for the hearing of the case.
The state resorted to the court action following the EFCC’s refusal to honour an earlier request for the funds as contained in a demand letter from the state’s agent, George Uboh, of the Panic Alert Security System.
Uboh said he met with EFCC officials and the commission asked him for a short time to comply.
He said the commission failed to remit the monies, following which the state instructed him to go to court.
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