EFCC seizes Saraki’s properties

Few weeks to the expiration of the eighth national assembly, Sen. President Bukola Saraki is facing fresh battle from the EFCC.  Some houses belonging to him are now taken over by the commission.

Amongst the properties seized now are those on MacDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, which include some he was said to have bought, through shell companies, from the Presidential Implementation Committee for the Sales of Government Property.

Many properties on the street were marked on Friday because the omission was unsure the exact ones that are Saraki’s.

“From what we were told, they are keeping him under strict surveillance ahead of May 29, 2019 when they may invite him,” the Punch quoted a relative as saying.

While presenting evidence against Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in 2016, the EFCC alleged that he owned houses on MacDonald Road but there were discrepancies in the addresses.

The EFCC witness, Michael Wetkas, had said investigation revealed that House No. 15 MacDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, and Block 15 Flat 1 to 4 on the same street belonged to Saraki.

Wetkas said the Senate President bought the properties from the Presidential Committee on Sale of Federal Government Landed Properties in Lagos through his companies.

According to him, the defendant made a bank draft in the name of TYNITY Company Limited, which he declared in the asset declaration form.

Wetkas said 75 per cent of the price, N123.7m,  was paid for House No. 15 MacDonald Road, Ikoyi, through a bank draft from the account of one of Saraki’s companies called Skyview Properties Limited in Access Bank.

He also said investigation revealed that Saraki made a bank draft through his company TYNITY and paid for House No. 17 MacDonald Road in Ikoyi, Lagos, in the sum of N256.3m.

The witness had said, “My lord, there was a draft of N12.8m and another draft of N20m from Zenith Bank as well as a draft of N4m from GTBank as part of payment for the purchase of House No. 17 MacDonald Street.

“The N20m draft came from Carlys properties and Investment Limited and a draft of 136.1m was made on January 13, 2007 for the purchase of same property.

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“Another draft of N180.6m was made through Saraki’s personal bank account in GTB.’’

The latest investigation into Saraki political life from 2003 was announced last week by the commission which said it has written a letter to the Kwara State Government House, asking for the details of all of Saraki’s earnings including salaries, allowances and estacode in those years.