…By Mufta’u Balogun
The embattled Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of desperately looking for evidence to nail him.
He alleged that the anti-graft agency had started coercing witnesses to implicate him in order to file trumped-up charges against him upon the expiration of his tenure on October 15.
Specifically, Fayose in an October 10 letter addressed to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, alleged that the commission had invited one Maroun Mecheleb in order to mount pressure on him so as to make a false statement to implicate him.
The letter entitled, “Stop coercing witnesses”, 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.”
The governor said the intention of the agency was to concoct charges against him.
He added, “Specifically, I know as a fact that your Commission has been doing everything possible to induce and or coerce Mr Maroun Azeez Mecheleb Sam 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.”
