EFCC still investigating Tinubu: Bawa

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it is still investigating a former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu.

The chairman of the anti-graft agency Abdulrasheed Bawa made this known in an interview with Thisday Newspapers.

Mr Tinubu, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) had two billion vans entering his residence in Lagos on the eve of the presidential election. He confirmed the arrival of the vehicles largely used by financial institutions to convey large sums of money and asked whose business it was if he decided to move his funds around.

But critics said the action violated the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 which makes it illegal for any individual to accept or make any cash payment that exceeds N5M (Five Million Naira).

This means that every cash transaction over N5M must be done through a financial institution and certainly the amount is a far cry from what the two bullion vans are expected to carry.

While at the commission’s zonal office in Lagos, Mr Bawa in a letter marked CR/3000/EFCC/LS/Vol4/322, dated November 6, 2020, requested for the assets declaration of the former governor of the state from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) before he was appointed the substantive head of the commission in January.

Speaking on the current state of matter, the anti-graft czar said Mr Tinubu is still being investigated and will be arrested at the conclusion of investigation.

He said the commission under him will not indulge in media trial like his predecessor allegedly did while in acting capacity.

“Investigation is ongoing. When you are investigating matters like this, they don’t end in a day,” Mr Bawa said. “Thousands of investigations are going on, on a daily basis. You understand? You know, you are from the media. After you will say we are doing media trial.”