We did not receive any invitation letter from the EFCC and were not aware of any summons or pending charge against us by the EFCC
By Eugene Onyeji
The CEO of a Ponzi scheme in Bayelsa, Pastor Oyinmiebi Bribena and his wife, Beatrice, have declared that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) never invited them for any questioning or interrogation before declaring them as wanted persons.
In a swift response to EFCC statement, the President of Baraza Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited (BMCSL), has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa to enforce their fundamental rights.
The EFCC had in a statement issued on Friday, by its Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwajaren, declared the couple wanted for allegedly defrauding members of the BMCSL of funds to the tune of N2 billion.
Prior to their declaration as wanted persons by the EFCC, the President of BMCSL had earlier filed an originating summons before the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, against the anti-graft agency for the determination of some questions with regards to the powers of the Commission to interfere in disputes between members of the Co-operative Society and the Cooperative Society, considering the provisions of the Nigerian o-Operative Societies Act 2004.
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Reacting to the declaration, Bribena said: “We did not receive any invitation letter from the EFCC and were not aware of any summons or pending charge against us by the EFCC.
“It is therefore surprising that the commission will go to such length to damage our reputation and make me and my family to go through ‘media trial’.”
“To be sure, there is no basis for the EFCC so-called statement. We have not received any invitation from the EFCC as is the practice. We have never been served any formal invitation to the EFCC.
“If the anti-graft agency is acting on a petition then we have the right to at least be formally invited to be notified as such and questioned in line with such a petition and the EFCC’s investigation.
“We are not aware of any matter before the EFCC concerning us after the crises began in our Cooperative and my life became threatened and sought safety hence my not being in public all this while”, he said.
Bribena, who dismissed claims of Baraza being a Ponzi scheme as claimed by the EFCC, stated that the company’s operations were transparent and members were regularly briefed and were aware of the business model, adding that the EFCC was also formally notified on Baraza operations from the onset.
He said members of the cooperative society approved that the society trade with their contributions at an Online Foreign Exchange Market for monthly returns, which ran smoothly until the unfortunate events where most of the funds were lost in the market.
He said despite the loss, he had constantly made frantic efforts to recover and refund members their contribution as authorised by the general meeting of the cooperative, but the actions of the EFCC had constituted a spoke in the wheel of progress.
Bribena, who assured contributors that all hope was not lost, stated that he would not relent in the efforts being made to clear his name.
He, therefore, called on all members of Baraza to remain calm and rest assured that with the resolve to sort out the issues on the ground, every member would recover their contributions.