The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday quizzed the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Sir Mike Okiro, for over six hours over alleged mismanagement of N275, 525,000 million to train staff of the PSC to monitor the conduct of policemen during the general elections.
Okiro, who was interrogated with five others between 9.51am and 4.10pm, was not detained, but granted an administrative bail.
The N275.5m was said to be extra-budgetary and its source has been kept secret.
The vote was beyond the N151, 739, 280 approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
The BPP also described the application for approval by the PSC as a deliberate attempt to circumvent due process.
Clad in a Niger Delta attire, the former Inspector General of Police, got to the anti-graft commission’s headquarters in a black Toyota Land Cruiser (SUV), marked T 98 01 FG (PSC)
He was ushered into the investigation unit at about 9:51am with some top officials of the PSC including Chief Accountant, Bisala A. A., the Director of Administration and Finance, Ibeh E. C and his Police orderly, George Todonu.
Some officials of the PSC like Bello B. and Raymond Imiobo joined the grilling session at about 11.20am.
A top official of the ICPC said: “Okiro and some officials of ICPC were invited for interrogation. They made some useful statements. They will still appear before our investigators because investigations are still ongoing.”
The row over the management of the funds led a Principal Administrative Staff, Mr. Aaron Kaase, to write a petition to ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Although Kaase’s petition is dated May 21, 2015, the PSC suspended him from service on May 27 and backdated the letter of suspension to the same day he blew the whistle on the fraud.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the PSC secured approval to spend the huge funds to train its staff in Abuja, Kano and Lagos on March 23, which was five days to the general elections.
The said controversial cash of N275.5m was spent between March 28 and April 11.
In two separate letters to the Bureau of Public Procurement, the PSC sought for approval to spend the money on training of staff.