EFCC weighs evidence against Omisore on N4.5 b fraud

With former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Iyiola Omisore, safely in its custody, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, began considering whether the evidence at its disposal was strong enough to sustain the prosecution of the former Senator in court.

The commission is examining the gamut of evidence gleamed from banks and other sources to determine whether they are strong enough to warrant the trial of the former Senator or to let him go.

It will conclude the scrutiny of the evidence against him before the expiration of the arrest warrant granted the EFCC by the court.

However, the suspect was said to be in pensive mood and yet to open up on what really transpired between him and the former NSA, who is also facing multiple fraud charges.

He has all along denied any wrongdoing and has already threatened to sue the anti-graft agency for dragging his name in the mud.

Although the commission had earlier declared Omisore wanted in connection with the receipt of the sum of N1.3 billion from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, the agency said last night that it was too early to say if he would be charged this week.

But it was learnt that the commission was merely shopping for time in order to move the top Osun politician to the court to answer for his misdeed, having earlier frozen the accounts of another top politician, Musiliu Obanikoro and his two sons, all said to have cumulatively collected N4.7 billion from the ONSA for undisclosed reasons.

The EFCC top source said: “We cannot say when he will be charged to court but he is with us and yet to open up.”

Omisore’s name is said to have featured prominently on a list of 241 contractors, who got contracts from the ONSA in 2014 but did not do any appreciable job to justify the huge sums collected by them.

Before being arrested in Abuja on Sunday, the EFCC had declared him wanted; claiming that he severally evaded arrest and spurned numerous friendly invitations to answer to the allegations leveled against him.

The EFCC in a reaction before his arrest said: “Omisore has been elusive and refused to report to the commission after invitation was extended to him on April 7, 2016 requesting him “to come and make clarification on the ongoing investigation”.

“Instead of responding to the commission’s investigation Omisore approached the Federal Capital Territory High Court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

“Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf consequently ordered that Omisore should only be arrested through a due and legal process. The EFCC thereafter obtained a warrant to effect the arrest of the politician.”