Special Purpose Vehicles: CCB launches probe into petition against former Vice- President Atiku

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) says it is set to commence investigations into a petition against former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over diversion of public funds between 1999 and 2007 in the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo using the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV).

The CCB on Tuesday confirmed the receipt of the petition and extended an invitation to Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), his Chambers confirmed the invitation on Thursday in a press statement signed by Mr John Ainetor, Asst. Head of Chambers, in Lagos.

“The Bureau has invited our client Mr. Festus Keyamo to come forward to adopt his petition and to help it to secure the presence of the whistleblower, Mr. Michael Achimugu to assist in the investigation.

“Mr. Keyamo assures that the crusade for accountability in respect of this issue was not a campaign gimmick as he promises to follow it through to a logical conclusion, even after the victory of the President-Elect, ASIWAJU Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the chambers said.

Persecondnews recalls that the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo had submitted the petition against Atiku in the build-up to the February 25 presidential poll.

In the case filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja by the Festus Keyamo Chamber, the plaintiff joined the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively, while Atiku is the first defendant.

In the suit, the plaintiff (Keyamo) is sought a declaration of the court that the 1st Defendant (Atiku) is under a legal obligation to make available to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants, for the purpose of aiding their investigation, information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.