Money laundering: EFCC targets car/jewelry dealers, real estate developers

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said that the agency would look in the direction of car, jewelry dealers and real estate developers in search of money launderers.
This came as Bawa also disclosed that the Commission was working to strengthen its Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) with a view to checkmating the activities of non-designated financial institutions.
The EFCC boss, who clarified that the female minister who allegedly purchased a house through a bank chief for $37 million served under previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, also vowed to continue the prosecution of all politically exposed cases including former governors and highly placed government officials in the country.
According to him, the EFCC was diligently prosecuting former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, former governor of Katsina, Ibrahim Shema, the former governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu and the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal among others.
Speaking to State House Correspondents during the ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Billa, on his achievements, the anti-graft agency boss said: “SCUML that is being managed by the EFCC as well as the Ministry of Trade is expected to do similar thing but this time on the non-designated financial institutions. We are talking about the car dealers, the jewelry dealers and real estate etc.”
Asked to name the minister who allegedly laundered $37 million through real estate during a recent television interview programme, Bawa disclosed the person to be the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Madueke. He added that Madueke would be charged to court whenever she made herself available in the country.
The anti czar agency’s boss equally disclosed that the EFCC’s newly created Intelligence Unit has unearthed the movement of N6 billion from an unnamed state government coffers, saying that this finding was made possible by of the determination of the commission to restructure for more efficiency.
He listed recent recoveries made by the Commission to include N6 billion, over $161 million, over £13,000, €1,730, 200 Canadian dollars, CFA 373,000, ¥8,430. Other items recovered were 30 real estates, one carpet, 13 electronics, one farm land, one factory, two motorcycles, one filling station and about 32 automobiles.

 (New Telegraph)