Maina: CACOL tasks EFCC to prosecute UBA, Fidelity bank

LAGOS, Nigeria –  The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership CACOL  has written to the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa,  calling for investigation and possible prosecution of two banks, the United Bank for Africa, UBA and Fidelity Bank for their role in Abdulrasheed Maina’s Money Laundering case.

Abdulrasheed Maina, a former chairman of now-defunct Pension Reforms Task Team has just been sentenced to 8 years imprisonment.

In the petition, Chairman, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran said that “from your investigations as revealed during the court processes, United Bank of Africa and Fidelity Bank PLC were culpable for aiding fraud and were used by Maina as “conduit” to defraud pensioners and they ought to have been charged alongside Maina.

“We understand that, Fidelity Bank provided the channels with which the convict (Abdulrasheed Maina) used in defrauding the federal government, and for this reason the license of the bank ought to have been withdrawn as the bank benefitted from the proceeds of illegal transactions.

“Even the judge, Justice Okon Abang declared that the convict, through the assistance of Fidelity Bank Plc, deprived the pensioners that gave their all to this country in their youthful age, their legitimate earnings, “Whereas the convict was feeding fat on their sweat in faraway Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), buying choice properties, driving bulletproof cars, living in affluence beyond his legitimate earnings”.

“To this end, we hereby call for appropriate sanctions to be meted out to these banks which may include the withdrawal of their operating licenses, punishment and prosecution of offending bank officials.

According to him, CACOL  is an aggregate of human rights, community based and civil society organizations and individuals with an anti-corruption and openness in governance agenda across Nigeria, adding that It is a non-political, non-religious, non-sectarian, non-profit organization.

“Sir, we are encouraged to submit this petition to you based on our resolve to always expose any corrupt act(s) being perpetrated by anyone either in public or private sphere. Moreover, this petition is directed at your good offices, knowing that statutorily, it is the primary responsibility of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute this kind of cases and we have no doubt that you will do due diligence in carrying out this assignment for public good”, he said.