EFCC to quiz ex-ministers today over Siemens scandal

Written by Daily Trust Monday, 24 May 2010

ShareThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will today quiz former Nigerian ministers of communication who served between 2000 and 2006 over the 17.5 million Euros Siemens bribery scandal.

The former ministers to be quizzed by the EFCC operatives are: current PDP Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed, Dr. Cornelius Adebayo and retired Maj-Gen Tajudeen Olarenwaju.

EFCC spokesman Femi Babafemi told Daily Trust on phone that the former ministers will be quizzed concerning their roles in the scandal.

Two senior Siemens officials convicted by a court in Germany on April 20 had admitted to bribing top Nigerian officials to win telecommunications contract in Russia and Nigeria.

The court judgment, a copy of which the EFCC is trying to obtain, can help the EFCC identify top government officials who received bribes from the company during the period.

The EFCC has already contacted the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke to use the existing Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between Nigeria and Germany to request for the judgment of the German court which had found the two Germans guilty.

The EFCC will also question other top government officials alleged to be implicated in the scandal during the course of the week.