The House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee has stated it is not on a “witch-hunting” mission as it looks into the alleged unlawful sales of 48 million barrels of Nigeria’s Bonny Light petroleum to China in 2015.
At a meeting with the Inspector-General of Police, who was present in the form of AIG Garba Umar, Head of INTERPOL National Central Bureau, the Ad Hoc Committee’s Chairman, Mark Gbillah, disclosed this.
In the interest of the Nigerian people, the legislature, according to Gbillah, is carrying out its constitutionally mandated duties.
The ad hoc committee is looking at all crude oil shipments from 2014 to the present, as well as the unauthorised $2.4 billion sale of 48 million barrels of Nigerian Bonny Light petroleum to China in 2015.
He queried why the individuals who were star witnesses and ready to give evidence would suddenly be tagged “fugitives” and declared wanted by the police.
“Harassing and intimidating the witnesses, while assuring that the House was determined to unearth the hidden issues in the alleged illegal deals.
“There is an allegation that sometime in 2015, a presidential committee was set up and members traveled to China at the instance of a whistleblower of Mexican citizenship about the existence in China of millions of barrels of Nigeria”s crude.
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“This individual expressed an interest to purchase this crude which the government at the time allegedly needed to investigate first so this committee went to China, confirmed the existence of this crude.
“But this individual concerned alleged that when the process of selling this crude commenced they were no longer contacted.
“They have evidence of the fact that the crude was sold without the money being remitted to the coffers of the Nigerian government,” he said.
The chairman also alleged that the concerned individuals were being intimidated and threatened.
This according to him, involved them being charged to court over the matter and eventually the matter was discontinued, because the parties involved did not want it to become public knowledge.
NAN
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