March 04, (THEWILL) – The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced investigations into the allegations that the $3.4 billion loan obtained from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is “missing, diverted or unaccounted for”.
A civil society organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), had raised the alarm over the alleged “diverted” loan following a 2020 annual audited report, recently published by the Auditor-General of the Federation.
According to the audited report, there was no document to show the movement and spending of the $3.4 billion emergency financial assistance obtained from the IMF to finance the budget and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SERAP had on Friday, dragged President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, before a Federal High Court, in Abuja, praying the court “to direct and compel” the President to probe the alleged diverted loan.
However, THEWILL gathered that two officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and one from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) have been quizzed over the alleged “missing” loan.
According to The Nation, the officials were interrogated last week by the ICPC.
Meanwhile, while the Commission has retrieved vital documents on the loan, it has also invited another set of officials from the Federal Ministry of Finance for interrogation.
A source, who confirmed the probe, said, “Documents retrieved and statements from the officials of the OAGF revealed that the utilisation of the funds were as directed by the Ministry of Finance. Investigation is ongoing into the various approvals and utilisation of the funds by the beneficiaries.
“The documents relating to the loan were retrieved from the CBN, the OAGF and the Ministry of Finance.
“Some CBN and OAGF officials were interviewed and the officials of the Ministry of Finance will be interviewed in the coming (this) week.”
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