"I know as a fact that your Commission has been doing everything possible to induce and or coerce Mr Maroun Azeez Mecheleb to make false statement to implicate me (when he appears in your office at noon today 11/10/2018) as a foundation for you to concoct trumped-up charges against me," the statement read.
Ayodele Fayose, Governor of Ekiti State, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of attempting to coerce a witness into giving incriminating statement against him.
The governor revealed this in a statement by Lere Olayinka, his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, on Thursday, where he alleged that the commission is mounting pressure on one Maroun Azeez Mecheleb to change his earlier statement.
Azeez was said to have been at the commission’s office with regards to an ongoing investigation.
The statement read: "A situation where a prospective witness is being induced or coerced to change his earlier statement by the operatives of the Commission is nothing but persecution."
He, however, said promised to be at the commission’s Abuja office on October 16, 2018 as earlier promised.
He said: “I have always been made to know that the statutory functions and powers of your Commission are neither to persecute nor compromise the integrity of your Commission. Permit me to stress that, a situation where a prospective witness is being induced or coerced to change his earlier statement by the operatives of the Commission is nothing but persecution.
"Therefore, it is important to bring to your notice that I am aware of your desperate efforts in the last 48 hours to procure evidence by hook or crook to 'nail' me.
"Specifically, I know as a fact that your Commission has been doing everything possible to induce and or coerce Mr Maroun Azeez Mecheleb to make false statement to implicate me (when he appears in your office at noon today 11/10/2018) as a foundation for you to concoct trumped-up charges against me, notwithstanding the fact that the said Mr. Maroun who only returned to Nigeria in the last three weeks had earlier made two statements in Charge No. FRN vs. Abiodun Agbele and Ors. Copies extracted from the earlier proof of evidence are attached for ease of reference.
"Regardless, I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, 16th October 2018."