The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes panel (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, says the panel spent six months investigating Pastor Jerry Eze, the founder of Streams of Joy International, for alleged money laundering before clearing him of any wrongdoing.
The Nation reports that Olukoyede made the announcement today while speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony in Abuja.
He said the probe was initiated on the basis of intelligence reports and petitions following the receipt of substantial inflows of foreign cash into the cleric’s domiciliary account from numerous countries including Colombia, the United States, Sri Lanka and Togo.
EFCC boss stated the inspectors thoroughly investigated the pastor’s financial records.
We work by intelligence. We work by petitions. At one time I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars and pounds fell like raindrops, from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo.
I said, ‘Who is this man? Yes, I knew his name and had seen his face a couple of times. I didn’t worry about what he was up to. I knew he was a pastor.
“So they said, this pastor of streams of joy, go and check him out. And so we proceeded to the investigation. “We went through the books,” Olukoyede said.
“After collating initial findings, I later asked Pastor Jerry Eze to my office for questioning,” he said.
After analyzing the results and hearing the cleric, the Commission did not discover any proof of financial crimes,” Olukoyede said.
Rather, he lauded Pastor Eze for his sincerity and philanthropy.
So he came to my workplace to see me. He told me what he does, how the money comes, how he’s been helping people, what occurred, all that stuff.
“I said, you know what, I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We’ve had our say. I called you here to congratulate you,” he said.
The discovery was met with applause from the audience, as the Pastor Eze who was at the ceremony, acknowledged the commendation.
Olukoyede said that the EFCC has a duty not simply to investigate financial crimes but to also identify persons who display integrity.
However, he warned that the Commission will continue to examine suspicious financial transactions and stressed the importance of its preventative role in the fight against corruption.
“The chairman of EFCC also expressed concern on some religious leaders involvement in fraudulent activities.
The Commission has investigated and sentenced several clergy and has advised religious institutions to follow high standards of integrity so that places of worship do not become coverings for criminal activities, he said.
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