The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council has uncovered about 58 bank accounts allegedly linked to its detained Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.
The committee also uncovered a N400m transaction involving a company that accused Adeyemi of inducing it to make payments after claiming he could secure a contract for the renovation, furnishing or improvement of a purported official residence allocated to him as PFIPC director-general.
Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, disclosed the findings on Wednesday while presenting the panel’s preliminary report to parliamentary correspondents in Abuja.
Gagdi said preliminary information obtained from financial and investigative institutions showed that Adeyemi’s Bank Verification Number and other identifying details were linked to a network of personal, corporate, organisational and foundation accounts.
He said more than 30 of the 58 accounts appeared to have been operated in the names of about nine agencies, companies, foundations or related entities connected to Adeyemi.
The entities identified by the committee include the Confederation of United Nations Youths, FCT Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership, FCT Investment Promotion Council and Public-Private Partnership, Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, United Nations Youth Global Agency and United Nations Youth Global Foundation.
Others include World United Nations Youth Global Foundation, World Entrepreneurship University Limited, World Enterprise University Limited, FCT Investment Promotion Act, FCT Promotion Agency and Olubadan of Ibadan Foundation.
Gagdi, however, stressed that the committee had not concluded that every account, entity or transaction identified was unlawful.
He said the panel was still reconciling registration records, account mandates, beneficial ownership information, signatories and transaction histories to establish the true ownership and control of the organisations and accounts.
The committee nevertheless identified similarities in the names, objectives, management structures, signatories and banking relationships of several entities.
According to Gagdi, the similarities raised concerns about a possible pattern of creating or deploying organisations to project artificial credibility, solicit funds, obtain official recognition or induce members of the public to make payments.
Gagdi said the alleged N400m transaction involved a company that claimed Adeyemi induced it to make payments in four instalments after representing that he could secure a contract relating to a purported official residence allocated to him in his claimed capacity as PFIPC director-general.
He said the committee was tracing the funds, identifying the account holders and beneficial owners, and determining whether public officers or private individuals participated in or benefited from the transaction.
Gagdi said that, if established through investigation and judicial proceedings, the allegations could constitute offences including fraudulent misrepresentation, obtaining money by false pretence, impersonation, conspiracy, forgery and the concealment or movement of proceeds of crime.
The committee said its findings indicated that the PFIPC was never lawfully established.
According to Gagdi, investigators found no Act of the National Assembly, gazetted enactment, presidential executive order or other lawful instrument establishing the purported council.
He said documents used to project the organisation as a government institution contained evidence of alleged fabrication, forgery, mutilation, impersonation and unauthorised representation of federal institutions and public officers.
The committee also found what it described as evidence of alleged fabrication of official documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter for Adeyemi, a purported executive order and a document presented as an Act of the National Assembly establishing the organisation.
Gagdi said evidence obtained from the State House established that the purported appointment letter was neither issued nor signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
He said the letterhead and reference number were also inconsistent with official State House correspondence.
The committee subsequently exonerated Gbajabiamila from allegations of authorising, establishing or participating in the activities of the purported council.
Gagdi said documentary evidence before the committee did not establish that the Chief of Staff authorised or participated in the activities of the organisation.
Rather, he said Gbajabiamila had contacted relevant security and investigative agencies after receiving alerts about the organisation.
The agencies contacted, according to the committee, included the Nigeria Police Force, Office of the National Security Adviser, Department of State Services and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The committee also exonerated the National Assembly committees responsible for budget scrutiny from culpability.
The investigation had raised questions about how an organisation that had not been lawfully established was able to secure apparent recognition and budgetary treatment within the Federal Government’s administrative system.
Gagdi said the development exposed weaknesses in the verification of government institutions, creation of administrative and budget codes, authentication of official correspondence, allocation of government accommodation and processing of official-looking vehicle number plates.
The purported council occupied office space within the Federal Secretariat Complex and operated a website portraying it as a Federal Government institution.
The committee also found that the organisation allegedly used the names, offices and photographs of President Bola Tinubu and other senior government officials without authorisation.
About 39 people were also allegedly presented as employees of the purported organisation.
The committee said it was investigating their recruitment, appointment letters, identity cards and remuneration, as well as allegations that some prospective employees were required to make payments as a condition for employment.
Gagdi said the committee had recommended that ministries, departments and agencies immediately stop recognising or transacting with the PFIPC or any related entity whose legal status had not been independently verified.
The panel also urged government agencies to ensure that no appropriation, administrative code, warrant, cash backing, financial release or government facility was processed in favour of the purported organisation.
It recommended that financial institutions and investigative agencies preserve account records, transaction histories, mandates and beneficial ownership information relating to the individuals and entities under investigation.
The committee also called for the prompt conclusion of criminal and financial investigations and said appropriate agencies should prosecute where sufficient admissible evidence is established.
It recommended the tracing, preservation, freezing and recovery of assets or proceeds linked to any unlawful conduct, subject to applicable laws and judicial authorisation where required.
The committee commended the Nigeria Police Force, DSS, EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and ONSA for assisting with investigations into the alleged forged documents, entities, bank accounts and transactions.
It further recommended stronger authentication procedures for the creation of government institutions, administrative and budget codes, as well as correspondence purportedly issued by the Presidency and other senior government offices.
The panel proposed the creation or strengthening of a secure centralised digital verification platform through which the legal existence, establishing instrument and status of every Federal Government institution could be independently verified.
Gagdi said the alleged N400m transaction would require a separate and comprehensive investigation, including efforts to trace, preserve, freeze and recover any proceeds of unlawful activity established by investigators.
He added that the committee would continue investigating the ownership and control of the identified accounts, the alleged N400m transaction, the purported official residence, special number plates, government accommodation and the roles of public and private individuals connected to the matter.
The chairman stressed that the findings presented were preliminary and did not constitute a determination of criminal guilt, which remains the responsibility of courts of competent jurisdiction.
He said the committee’s final report would be presented to the House after lawmakers return from their two-month annual recess. The House would then decide whether to adopt, amend or reject the findings and recommendations.
Gagdi said the investigation was aimed at protecting the integrity of government institutions and preventing individuals or organisations from unlawfully assuming governmental authority.
“The Presidency cannot be impersonated with impunity,” he said.
He added that the final report would contain definitive findings, identified institutional and individual responsibilities and recommendations for appropriate legislative, administrative, disciplinary, civil, financial and prosecutorial action, subject to the decision of the House and due process of law.