Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris has constituted a five-man special team to probe the alleged padding of the budget by House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, his deputy Yusuff Lasun, Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor.
The quartet were asked to appear before it on Friday.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Amodu Ali-led Special Investigative Panel (SIP) panel yesterday held “a preliminary session” with the sacked House Committee on Appropriation’s chairman Abdulmumin Jibrin.
Jibrin, who has accused Dogara and others of padding the budget with about N300billion, was said to have “furnished the SIP with vital information and a heap of documents” at their meeting yesterday.
A source said told The Nation that: “We have commenced full investigation into the N284billion budget padding in the House of Representatives based on a petition from Hon. Jibrin.
”A Special Investigative Panel (SIP), with a crack detective, AIG Amodu Ali as the chairman, is the one saddled with the responsibility of looking into the allegations in the petition.
“The same Ali uncovered the lid on the $620,000 bribery scam in the House for which a former Chairman of the House Committee on Fuel Subsidy Management, Mallam Farouk Lawan, and the Clerk of the committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo were indicted. The case is in court.
“You will recall that Ali was deeply involved in the investigation of the $180million Halliburton scam. So, the SIP is led by an officer who is tested.
“A letter of invitation has been addressed and sent to the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Chief Whip and the Minority Leader.
“They will be interrogated by the SIP on Friday. As a prelude to the invitation of the principal officers, the SIP chairman and members had a session with Jibrin on Tuesday.
“It was not a grilling session. But Jibrin furnished the team with vital information and a heap of documents to back up the petition he submitted on Monday.
“We are going into the merit or otherwise of the petition on Friday by inviting Dogara and three others. It is going to be a gradual thing but we will crack the padding controversy.”
