By Valentine Amanze
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of coercing witnesses to implicate him, having been unable to establish any case against him.
The governor, in a letter to the EFCC dated October 10, 2018, said specifically that the commission was doing everything possible to induce and or coerce Mr Maroun Azeez Mecheleb to make false statement to implicate him (the governor) “when he appears in your office at noon today (11/10/2018).”
Fayose pointed out: “A situation where a prospective witness is being induced or coerced to change his earlier statement by the Operatives of the Commission is nothing but persecution.”
He however said the seeming bias of the anti-graft commission notwithstanding, that he would be at its Abuja office on October 16, 2018 as earlier promised.
The letter with reference number EK/Gov1/28/Vol1/13 read: “I have always been made to know that the statutory functions and powers of your Commission are neither to persecute nor compromise the integrity of your Commission.
“Permit me to stress that, a situation where a prospective witness is being induced or coerced to change his earlier statement by the Operatives of the Commission is nothing but persecution.
“Therefore, it is important to bring to your notice that I am aware of your desperate efforts in the last 48 hours to procure evidence by hook or crook to ‘nail’ me.
“Specifically, I know as a fact that your Commission has been doing everything possible to induce and or coerce Mr Maroun Azeez Mecheleb to make false statement to implicate me (when he appears in your office at noon today 11/10/2018) as a foundation for you to concoct trumped up charges against me notwithstanding the fact that the said Mr. Maroun who only returned to Nigeria in the last three weeks had earlier made two statements in Charge No. FRN vs. Abiodun Agbele and Ors. Copies extracted from the earlier proof of evidence are attached for ease of reference.
“Regardless, I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, 16th October 2018.”
