As mystery over the sale of stolen crude oil from Nigeria to Ghanaian based company, Saltpond Platform continue, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the weekend denied reports that the commission was attempting to thwart investigations centred on the case.
In a statement made available to journalists and signed by EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, the Commission said its attention had been drawn to a report entitled “Crude Oil Theft: PDP Governorship Candidate, Jarret Tenebe Arrested, Implicates Jonathan’s former Chief of Staff, Anenih and Petroleum Minister” which appeared on Saharareporters, an online news service, on Thursday, September 11, 2014.
According to Uwujaren, “The said report, quoting unnamed sources at the EFCC, made wide ranging allegations linking top government officials, both former and serving, to the activities of a certain, Jarret Tenebe, a suspect who is under investigation for oil theft.
“The attributions ascribed to the unknown and unnamed EFCC source is shocking as it runs contrary to the established media protocol at the Commission. For the benefit of members of the public who may have been misled by the attributions, all information emanating from the EFCC to the media are authenticated by the designated official spokesperson, which is not the case with this report.
“Equally distasteful was the obvious attempt to tar the agency as a pliable institution that is susceptible to manipulation by vested interests.
“Claims that the Commission ‘had been under intense pressure from several quarters to muddle up the case in order to spring the suspect free’ is an ingenious invention to impugn the integrity of the EFCC.
“It is important to state here that no serving or former petroleum resources minister or public figure has been linked to the investigation in question.
“Consequently, the Commission dissociates itself from the report in its entirety.”
Uwujaren further explained that, “the matter for which Tenebe, the managing director of Fenix Impex Limited was arrested is still under investigation and in due course the Commission will make its findings public.”
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