After being
detained for about four days, a former Finance Minister, Senator Esther
Nenadi Usman, has reportedly made a substantial refund of the cash said
to have been given to her by the Office of the National Security
Adviser, NSA.
A
competent source at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
confirmed that the powerful female Kaduna politician, who served as the
Director of Finance for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential
Campaign Organisation, reportedly received N2.5 billion from the N4
billion that was released from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on the
orders of Colonel Sambo Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser,NSA,
in the heat of the 2015 elections.
EFCC sources claimed that Usman had unhindered access to huge cash, some of which the EFCC said came from the CBN.
According to findings, the former minister is being quizzed over various sums of money which were paid into her account.
Some
of these funds are to have been traced to her personal and company’s
accounts which she allegedly used to acquire properties in Abuja.
She
was arrested last Monday and taken into custody by EFCC operatives to
enable her speak on what she knew about the huge cash paid to her during
the elections.
A
competent source in the Commission, however, confirmed to Sunday
Vanguard, last night, that Usman had been cooperating with the
operatives interrogating her.
More importantly, the source said she had refunded an undisclosed amount of money to the EFCC.
Asked
how much the former minister had remitted to the Commission, the
officer declined to give details, saying he was not sure of the exact
figure.
“I
can confirm that the former minister has refunded some money but I will
not tell you how much she has made available to us,” the officer said.
Asked
when she would regain her freedom, the source said that releasing her
depended on how soon she could make the money available to the
Commission.
“It
is to be expected that the woman could be released on administrative
bail as soon as she refunds the amount we traced to her,” the officer
stated.
Vanguard
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