The embattled former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Olu Falae, denied association with prominent politicians who were revealed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to have shared N3.45 billion during the time leading up to the 2015 presidential election.
The EFCC had on Monday stated that Mr. Falae, a founding leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), received the sum of N100 million through a company named Marreco Limited which he Chairs.
The anti-graft agency gave shocking evidence and confirmation showing how the funds was transferred and credited into Falae’s company accounts domiciled at the United Bank for Africa (UBA), on March 25th 2014, to an account numbered 10000627022.
Mr. Falae, in a statement issued to journalists in Akure, said the EFCC’s claims were absolutely untrue.
In his statement signed by SDP Ondo State Spokesman Remi Olayiwola, and obtained by a SaharaReporters correspondent, Mr. Falae explained that the only funds that he received was transferred through Tony Anenih, the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr. Olayiwola said that the transaction between Mr. Anenih to Mr. Falae was based on an agreement between the two political parties.
He reiterated that the funds being referred to by the EFCC was the same money sent earlier by the PDP to Mr. Falae for support during the electioneering period of the 2015 presidential election.
"We wish to inform the general public that it is the same amount of money sent by the PDP to the SDP as a result of their inter-party agreement that is now being represented to the public through another dubious channel in order to portray [Mr.] Falae and the SDP in a bad light.”
Our correspondent reported that Mr. Olayiwola affirmed that Mr. Falae and SDP had no business in any transaction with either the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or the Joint Trust Dimension Limited.
He noted that the statement by the anti-graft agency published by the media was to embarrass and drag the name of leaders of the SDP in the mud.
“The EFCC at one point said that the N100m was from Dasuki, a lie which has now been effectively debunked. Now they are claiming that the money was from a company known as Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited, an entity totally unknown to Mr. Falae and the SDP,” the SDP spokesman said.
“With the foregoing, we wish to advise those concerned to desist henceforth from this campaign of calumny, character assassination and trial of the innocent on the pages of newspapers.”