Former State Speaker, 14 Others Docked For Alleged Money Laundering
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
A former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr. Moses Thomas Sule, has been arrested by operatives of the Makurdi Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to a statement by the anti-graft agency’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale on Wednesday, Sule was arrested on Tuesday alongside 14 other members of the State House of Assembly for alleged money laundering.
The 14 members are: Gwottson Fom, Sani Abubakar, Jwe Philip Gwom, Thomas Dantong, Happiness Mathew Akawu, Cornelius Dotyok and Agbalak Ibrahim.
Other members are: Danjuma Azi, Fwangje Bala Ndat, Salome Tanimu Wanglet, Namba Rimuyat, Nimchak Rims, Ishaku Maren and Paul Datugun.
The EFCC said the former legislators were arrested following claims by some concerned citizens of the state against them for allegedly violating the Money Laundering( Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and abuse of procurement processes.
This is even as investigation showed that the former legislators spent only six months in office and the state government bought several luxury vehicles for them in their official capacities.
Investigation further showed that the said vehicles are valued at N2.5 billion. Upon leaving office, the vehicles were meant to be returned to the state government but were taken away by the legislators and all efforts to retrieve them have proved abortive.
The state government had to procure another set of vehicles for the present members of the House of Assembly valued at about N2 billion.
“The former Speaker and other members will soon be charged to court”, the commission said.
