Ex-Enugu Governor, Chime, still under investigation, defection to APC, notwithstanding ―EFCC

THE Economic and Financial Crime Commission ( EFCC) has said the defection of the immediate-past governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime,  to the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not stall the on- going investigation on him by the anti-graft  body.

Mixed reactions have continued to trail the Ex-governor defection to APC with many of his critics insinuating that hewants to get scot-free from the alleged misappropriation of the N450,000,000.00, four hundred and fifty million presidential campaign funds he was said to have collected from the Ex-Petroleum Minister, Deziani Madueke in 2015.

Briefing newsmen at the Enugu Press Centre on Wednesday, the EFCC Head of Operations Southeast accompanied with the EFCC Southeast Zonal Head, Mr Johnson Babalola, said that Chime who rode to power on umbrella of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) as governor for eight years,  is far from being free from the long arm of the law, reiterating that he is still under investigation.

Babalola explained that Rita Mba who was also fingered along with Chime and some others, is also under investigation even when she seemed to have accused EFCC of compromising with Chime in the fraud saga.

The EFCC boss pointed out that criminal cases of that nature can linger for a long time for thorough investigation to take place.

“Chime is still under investigation. Criminal cases don’t have expiring date. The case is still not closed. Rita has the right to allege that we have compromised. I want to tell you that she too is still under investigation and I don’t want to say more than that about the case,” Babalola declares.

Babalola who said that the briefing is meant to thank the media for the yeoman’s job they are doing in educating the masses about the happenings in the society and EFCC activities lamented that crimes and criminality persist in the society because the society seems to celebrate criminality explaining that when communities know that somebody is a thief, they give such one chieftaincy title.

He also lamented that EFCC is hamstrung financially in carrying out their onerous task as a corruption fighting agency because the very people they seem to be fighting are holding the purse, thereby making it difficult for them to execute their jobs.

“We are handicapped financially for the work because the people we are fighting are still the same people that will approve our funds,” Babalola laments.

He said however that in spite of challenges, the country would not be allowed to rot even when the powers that be seemed to be fighting their boss, Ibrahim Magu, who he said is clean in the fight against corruption.

“The main thing in Nigeria is corruption and insecurity. The powers that be are against my oga. He has nothing in his cupboard and they cannot stop him from carrying out investigation,” he alleges.

He noted that EFCC does not indict people but investigates a matter before prosecuting it in court, adding that they are always thorough before they make any move.