The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has denied allegations levelled against it by some persons, who are said to be the sponsors of the continued campaign of calumny against the commission. The Commission in a statement, refuted the allegations, saying nothing will deter it from carrying out it duties.
The commission also added that those behind the false publication and sponsors of the campaign of calumny, are those that are currently facing investigation for alleged corrupt practices at the commission.
ICPC in a statement released on Thursday 19th November 2020, on their official website, and social media handle, identified those behind the sponsored publications against the commission as one Davidson George and John Kester.
The statement reads:
“The attention of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has been drawn to several publications through various media disparaging its operations, officers and the Chairman, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye.
These attacks are being orchestrated through an online publication by one Davidson George and John Kester, two suspects who are facing an investigation by the Commission.
Ordinarily, the Commission would not have responded to the publications which were equally sent to other arms and agencies of government and have been found to be baseless in its entirety.
As part of the attacks, allusions of impropriety were made to some cases under investigation by the Commission, including the alleged laundering of N550 million by a primary school teacher, Roseline Egbuha and one John Kester.
ICPC had sometimes ago, published its investigation of Egbuha and her alleged accomplices including the freezing of their bank accounts used for the alleged crime.
John Kester, on his part, was reported to the Commission by the Presidency for alleged acts of corruption, extortion and money laundering.
George and Kester were recently detained together in the Commission, which likely created an opportunity for them to plan their attacks against the Chairman and officers of ICPC for carrying out their statutory duties.
It is, however, pertinent to place on record that Davidson George was investigated recently for using the academic certificate of his friend (who served as his best man at his wedding) to practice as a medical doctor. For this reason, he is currently standing trial before Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Furthermore, he is being investigated for submitting a false petition to the Commission concerning one Regina Dominic, a public officer and former co-tenant in the same 8-bedroom tenement building in New Nyanya, Karu, Nasarawa State.
ICPC’s dismissal of his petition for lacking in substance so far is the cause of the current wave of attacks.
The recently sponsored campaigns of calumny by Davidson George through his agents are meant to cast aspersions on the operations of the Commission in general and the integrity of its staff and the chairman in particular.
It is pertinent to note that his campaign of calumny started during the initial investigation and subsequent arraignment as before now, in a desperate attempt to blackmail and dissuade officers of the Commission from doing their work, he engaged in a series of cyber-bullying by posting distasteful, gory and threatening messages to the officers.
Nevertheless, the Commission remains undaunted in its fight against corruption at all levels in line with the Federal Government’s zero-tolerance policy”.