Tue, 09/08/2011 - 11:22am

http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/3522/2011/08/09/suswam_denies_money_laundering_allegation.html

Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam has denied the corruption and money laundering allegations levelled against him by one Bemgba Anyor in an online journal, saying the name of the petitioner is fictitious.

Bemgba Anyor, in a petition sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accused the governor of withdrawing of N1billion in cash from the Makurdi branch of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc.

The petition also claimed that one of the accounts of the Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) was domiciled in the Bank which also was the former employer of Mr. Andy Ayabam current head of the BIRS.

The petitioner in addition called for the immediate investigation of one Mr. Barclays Msughter Nguher?for allegedly using his position at the Nigeria Intelligence

Agency (NIA) to liaise with his colleagues in one of the Foreign Missions to assist governor Suswam to launder the money.

In his reaction, Governor Gabriel Suswam who was contacted by LEADERSHIP in New York said that there was no time he withdrew illegal funds from any bank, adding that he also did not launder any money or use any foreign mission to launder money.

The Benue state Governor pressed further that the petitioner, who he said never existed, should try to be more specific by mentioning the name of the foreign mission that was alleged in the petition to have helped him launder money.

Saying that his son never presided over any illegal company in the country, Suswam continued that the people should try not to distract him from all the good ideas he has brought to ensure developments and growth in Benue state.

He, however, blamed the members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Benue State for the allegation, stressing that it was a ploy by them to distract him with a campaign they embarked upon out of depression.

‘‘How can you launder money through a Nigerian Mission? I challenge the petitioner to come out with specific evidence and the name and location of the foreign mission that was alleged to have assisted me in laundering money.

The name on the petition does not exist and it was the work of the ACN in the State in order to rubbish my government.

To be honest with everybody, I have never laundered any money since I became Governor in 2007 and I will never do so because the interest, growth and developments of the good people of Benue state is my priority”