N11 billion Fraud: Police Will Prosecute Bukola Saraki, Commissioner Says

Bukola Saraki
By SaharaReporters, New York

The police in Lagos have told PM News they will soon be ready to prosecute Senator Bukola Saraki, and that the delay in the process is to ensure that the investigation is thorough so that the prosecution is not thrown out by a court on a technicality.

In an interview published in today’s edition, Mr. Ayotunde Ogunsakin, the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU), told the newspaper that as a matter that involves an important personality and some other individuals, the Saraki case cannot be hidden.  

Below are some excerpts from the interview:

Sir what’s the update on Saraki’s case and why have you refused to prosecute him?
It’s not that we have refused to prosecute him, you must be aware that we are doing a very extensive and painstaking investigation, we don’t want a situation where we rush him to court and the case will be thrown out. As it is now, we have carried out extensive investigation and it involves a lot of work. However, what I can tell you at this stage is that investigation is almost concluded. The whole world we know when we conclude the investigation. It’s not a case that can be hidden as it involves an important personality and some other individuals. So we are doing a painstaking and intensive investigation so as not to get to court unprepared. That’s all I can tell you. We want to be as diligent as possible.

We are aware that you are investigating a case in FAAN, can we get the update?
Yes, that is also a very critical case in the sense that it has to be extensive as we want it to be. It has to do with the officials of FAAN, Senior officials of FAAN past and present; senior officials of Ministry of Aviation, past and present; very senior officials. I won’t be able to give details now so as not to impede our investigation. Since some of the people we are investigating are still in office, we don’t want to give all the details out. However, I can tell you it has to do with funds and inappropriate use of funds, inappropriate funding in terms of training outside Nigeria and inappropriateness in the award of contracts. These are some of the allegations…and you know the issue of FAAN is very sensitive as it has to do with planes flying and all that, especially with the problems in the aviation industry. We want to be as painstaking as possible, and we don’t want our investigation to disrupt operations at the airport.

Most time when you charge suspects to court, when they are granted bail, they come back to the same crime. What do you think is the solution?
I think that’s the society issue. Like you are aware that we arrested a guy recently who committed the same offence and we took him to court; at the court he was granted bail but as soon as he was out, he was discovered to have gone and defraud another person, committing same offence and so we had to pick him up again. I think it has to do with justice administration, and it appears that the justice system is slow but surely we will get there. At times maybe we need to review our laws too, to tackle issues like this, so there can be an improvement in our legislation, especially in fraud cases like this. Or other issues that require National Assembly to look into our fraud and evidence cases, so that when something like this comes up, they can also assist the police to curb such offences. What I can say is that we cannot say the judiciary isn’t doing enough but like all facets of the society, the police reform and the judiciary are places we should look into as well. Our legislation also has to be looked at.

 Full interview: http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/08/29/well-prosecute-saraki/

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Saraki's prosecution not in

Saraki's prosecution not in this administration..... They're all birds of thesame feather.

above human law

If some Nigerians are above the country's law good! They can never escape God's law they will dearly pay for their atrocity when the time come. Good a thing the amount of money stolen will not avail them of almighty justice.

Glass House Vs Throwing Stone

" Those living in Glass house should not throw stones"

Case of kettle calling pot black

The Oga who knows him more than most of us has spoken. Buhari is better advised to SHUT UP now. Afterall IBB had a reason to drive him out office.

THIS OGUNSHAKIN MAN IS A FRAUDSTER

Please stop giving this corrupt officer the attention he does not deserve. Let him point to a single conviction he has gotten at SFU and I will lynch myself. NPF has several result oriented senior officers who are silent achievers. Ogunshakin is massively corrupt, a common exam cheat and a lobbyist. He is friend to all 419 and corrupt politicians and I learn that he is aiming to head a national law enforcement agency and using your medium to lunch his campaign. His Court convictions should speak for him.

Another attempt to squeeze money

This is a shame. We need investigative journalism in Nigeria. This commissioner said he is still looking for evidence but yet, he has made up his mind on who the culprit is. We need to set aside our emotions and ask the ultimate questions. Show us the proof and try the guy. Don't keep coming every month with we will prosecute.

THE SAME SLOGAN!

We have heard this slogan before! 'Investigation continues; we shall get to the root of it; we shall prosecute all our law breakers.' The same slogans from our grossly inept and corruption laden system. Most people are no more fooled. Please let's just shut up until we can see real action and not rhetorics.

Ogunsakin is incompetent

This is pure rubbish. So even without evidence, the idiot 20 Nara police who forged his credentials has concluded that his only suspect his Saraki.

Forget about all the ...

This guy can only get jailed if the likes of OBJ, IBB, etc hands-off the case; like that of Bode George. Else, forget about all the "very extensive and painstaking investigations".  It's all a concluded matter.

I concord

I can't agree more with you.The malu need to be beheaded.

THE SAME OGUNSAKIN WHO WAS

THE SAME OGUNSAKIN WHO WAS INVOLVED IN EXAM FRAUD IS THE HEAD OF SPECIAL FRAUD UNIT IN THE POLICE. UP NIGERIA!!!!

ABSALOM BUKOLA SARAKI

They hounded other Bank Managing Directors to jail. He was rewarded with Governorship for the collapse of SOCIETE GENERALE BANK. He misruled KWARA but hijacked a Senatorial seat as his undeserved reward. This revelation is coming out now, all we hear is we are going with a long to! When? When is when? Till he gets rewarded with Presidency? When?

It is long overdue.

Pls do as quickly as possible, his pr osecution is long overdue, we d y ouths&free kwarans need somethi ng 2 seriously unsettle ds guy so d t he won't av a settle mind 4 d co ntinuation of kwarans slavery, ds guy have effectively distabilize d economic fabric of d state thru im planted mumu governor dt carry on there evil, pples slavery style of governance called legathief contin ues. Pls help as it is everly impossi ble 2 gather any kind of evidence against him in a state where he is in his 3rd term in office.

NAIJA THIEVES

firin squad should be set to fire any govt official cught in stealing public funds.

Why do we keep...

Why do we keep lying to ourselves? At all times that I have had the misfortune of having contact with Nigerian police men, I have come away sorely disappointed at best and dangerously wounded at worst. They are not a people to believe, have contact with, marry... They are a most useless example of humanity. This one is talking from both sides of the mouth and all this rigmarole will end up coming to nought. Mark these words...

Re-Saraki

It is all lies,Saraki was muscled up because of the alarm he raised about the fuel subsidy scam.I can bet my life that the guy will not be prosecuted by this very corrupt govt.

trouble sleep iyanga go wake-wetin GMB dey find-na palaba

Babangida, while reacting to the blame heaped on him and others for “killing” the nation’s oil sector and the attendant negative consequences on the welfare of Nigerians, had through his aide, Kassim Afegbua, said: “On General Buhari, it is not in IBB’s tradition to take up issues with his colleague former presidents. But for the purpose of record, we are conversant with Buhari’s so-called holier-than-thou attitude.“He is a one-time Minister of Petroleum and we have good records of his tenure as minister. Secondly, he also presided over the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) which records we also have.“We challenge him to come out with clean hands in those portfolios he headed. Or, we will help him to expose his ‘records of performance during those periods.’ Those who live in glass houses do not throw stones. General Buhari should be properly guided,” Babangida had said.

and buhari

Babangida, while reacting to the blame heaped on him and others for “killing” the nation’s oil sector and the attendant negative consequences on the welfare of Nigerians, had through his aide, Kassim Afegbua, said: “On General Buhari, it is not in IBB’s tradition to take up issues with his colleague former presidents. But for the purpose of record, we are conversant with Buhari’s so-called holier-than-thou attitude.“He is a one-time Minister of Petroleum and we have good records of his tenure as minister. Secondly, he also presided over the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) which records we also have.“We challenge him to come out with clean hands in those portfolios he headed. Or, we will help him to expose his ‘records of performance during those periods.’ Those who live in glass houses do not throw stones. General Buhari should be properly guided,” Babangida had said.

Sham Prosecution

Prosecution is the easy way out of any corruption charges in Nigeria!. Na who una dey lie to about prosecuting Saraki.

I don't trust Nigerian Police

I don't trust the Nigerian Police. The Police don't even trust themselves. I am optimistic that the case will be thrown away no matter their evidence as we know the history of court cases in Nigeria. James Ibori is a good example. Saraki is a sitting Senator and very influential.