EFCC officials on Monday quizzed Cosmas Maduka, the
chief executive of Coscharis Motors, the car firm accused of selling two armoured cars to aviation minister, Stella
Oduah, at an inflated cost of N255 million.
Mr. Maduka was questioned for hours at the EFCC headquarters in
Wuse 11 Abuja on Monday, and was later released,
officials of the commission told PREMIUM TIMES.
No official of government, specifically the aviation minister,
Mrs. Oduah, or officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, which
was the conduit for the purchase, has of yet been quizzed.
But our sources at the anti-graft body said Mr Maduka was
questioned for hours, and that on Friday, officials of First Bank Limited,
the financier of the contract, will also be interrogated in relation to the
contract.
First Bank’s role
in the transaction has remained controversial with the bank and the ministry of
aviation making contradicting claims. While the bank said it provided N643
million loan to the NCAA to make the purchase, the NCAA said the arrangement
was “lease financing”, while Mrs. Oduah said Thursday the credit was
obtained as a “mere understanding and not obligation.”
The scandal has smeared several government agencies including the
ministry of finance, which allegedly granted import duty waiver for the
purchase, the Lagos State government which applied
for the waiver, in exchange for a sponsorship deal with Coscharis.
The House of Representatives
committee on aviation is already investigating the scandal, as
is a presidential panel. Both committees are expected to submit their reports
next week.
Appearing before the House committee last
week, Mrs. Oduah denied wrongdoing, and said the cars were not purchased for
her use. She however admitted approving the purchase.
She claimed the transaction followed procurement due process, and
was in the budget, when clear evidences show otherwise.
The purchase of the cars for Mrs. Oduah has generated outrage for
weeks and Nigerians have called for the removal of the officials involved, and
their prosecution.
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