From Fred Itua, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, drilled the immediate-past governor of Bayelsa State and senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, Seriake Dickson.
The grill follows the invitation by the Commission over allegations bordering on abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds during his eight-year rule of Bayelsa state, between 2012 and 2020.
The former governor, who arrived at the headquarters of the EFCC in Jabi, Abuja, at about 11am, was still being grilled as at the time of filing this report by operatives of EFCC.
Though details of the allegations against the governor were sketchy, a source familiar with the case disclosed that they relate to issues of assets declaration and misapplication of intervention funds and other assets belonging to the Bayelsa State government.
Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the EFCC confirmed the invitation of the former governor.
Meanwhile, Dickson has dismissed allegations bordering on his assets declaration and misapplication of state funds in a petition filed by a non governmental organisation (NGO) as ‘frivolous’, insisting that his family assets were acquired in 2007 with loans.
In a statement, yesterday, the former Bayelsa governor said: “About two weeks ago, I received an invitation from the EFCC to clarify some issues relating to asset declarations as alleged by an NGO.
“On account of our busy schedule at the time, I wrote to inform them and we agreed to reschedule the interview for today.
“As a law abiding citizen and with a life long commitment to supporting law enforcement and security agencies, I honoured the invitation today as rescheduled. I understand that the subject matter of the inquiry relates to investments of my family trust, which I incorporated while being a member of the House of Reps, to hold my family assets and investments which were made between 1996 and 2012 before I became governor.”