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Abuja — Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday interrogated the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Haliru Mohammed Bello, over the 17.3 million euros Siemens bribery scandal.
The Head, Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi, had weekend said the commission had invited Bello, former Ministers of Communication, Chief Cornelius Adebayo and Major-General Tajudeen Olarenwaju (rtd) to appear before the agency yesterday.
However, both Adebayo and Olarenwaju were absent at the EFCC office in Abuja.
Babafemi told THISDAY that both former ministers would be quizzed today.
Following the resignation of former Chairman of the PDP, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor over allegations of fraud he perpetrated while serving as a minister, Bello, then Deputy National Chairman, took over in acting capacity.
Siemens was involved in about 1.3 billion euro bribery in some countries between 2001 and 2004.
The bribery scandal was uncovered in 2009 by the German police after invading the headquarters of the company in Germany over allegation of bribing some Nigerians, Libyans and Russians in its bid to get contracts.
Two senior officials of Siemens convicted by the German court on April 20, 2009 had implicated top Nigerian officials, when they confessed that they bribed their way through to win telecommunications contracts in Russia and Nigeria.
Out of the amount, 17.5 million euro was allegedly given to some Nigerian ministers and government officials as bribes during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Based on the admission of guilt in Germany, Siemens was fined 201 million euros by a Munich court on October 4, 2007.
EFCC chair, Mrs. Farida Waziri had said the commission would apply for the certified true copy of the Munich court judgment.
She also said the agency would get to the root of the scandal and prosecute whoever is found to have soiled his hands in respect of the case.
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