The suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, has refuted claims that the N30 billion recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is linked to her.
President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu on January 8 amidst allegations of N585.2 million fraud, directing the EFCC to investigate the financial transactions involving her ministry thoroughly.
The EFCC, however, revealed that it had recovered N30 billion while probing over 50 accounts. In its bulletin titled “EFCC Alert,” the commission stated, “Moreover, with respect to this particular case, we have recovered over N30 billion, which is already in the coffers of the Federal Government.”
Nevertheless, a letter issued on Wednesday by Edu’s lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, denied any knowledge of the recovered funds.
The letter stated, “Neither N30 billion nor any amount whatsoever has been traced to or recovered from our client’s bank accounts, nor has any proceeds of crime been traced or recovered from her.
“First and foremost, the language used in describing our client’s purported involvement in the alleged corruption case suggests guilt without allowing for the presumption of innocence, which is fundamental in any fair and unbiased reporting.”
