By Tosin Omoniyi, Abuja
Investigators from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, on Thursday grilled Mr. Mike Okiro, a former Inspector -General of Police and incumbent Chairman of the Police Service Commission, PSC, over an alleged N350 million fraud.
But Okiro, who arrived in company of the PSC’s chief accountant, Bisala A. A, and his orderly, George Todonu, was released on administrative bail after a few hours.
Okiro was invited for interrogation after the commission received a petition from one Aaron Kaase, Principal Administrative Officer, Press and Public Relations Unit of the PSC.
Kaase,in the petition, alleged that Okiro defrauded the PSC of several amounts of monies budgeted for the operations of the commission.
In the petition titled: “Petition against Sir(Dr ) Mike Mbama Okiro, Chairman, Police Service Commission for corruption, abuse and fraudulent act to swindle the Police Service Commission to the Tune of N275,525,000,” Kaase said that the allegations in the petition are based on his findings and concerns as a law abiding citizen of Nigeria and a concerned staff of the PSC.
Kaase alleged that in the build up to the 2015 general elections, the PSC sought for and obtained the sum of N350, 000,000.00 from the National Security Adviser, NSA, purportedly to train its staff in monitoring the conduct of police personnel deployed for the elections.
“With the funds in hand of the Commission, as statutorily required,the Commission sought for approval to use same vide two letters to the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP with Ref No.PSC:1499/VOL/111/138 dated March 12 and received on March 19,2015, the Commission requested for the issuance of “No objection” to adopt selective tendering method for the training of commission staff on monitoring of Police conduct during the 2015 general elections,” Kaase claimed in the petition.
According to the petition, Okiro quoted the costs for the training as follows: Abuja staff- 500 participants, awarded to Bobec &Associates at N95.3million ; Kano staff- 200 participants, awarded to Direct Knowledge Consult Limited at N95million and Lagos staff- 200 participants awarded to Tzone Communications Ltd at N85million.
This made it a total of 900 participants.
According to Kaase in his petition, the entire PSC staff members are not up to 400 in number.
Kaase also said that the Commission has no office in the entire South West and that the
commission has less than 10 members of staff in Kano.
It was further alleged that Okiro also collected the sum of N4.6 million to pay for a first class flight ticket to to the U.S in 2013 without actually travelling.
“An example was when he collected the sum of N3, 601, 000.00, his police orderly, Inspector George Todonu, also collected the sum of N1, 131,000.60, to attend the conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police from 25th-28th October, 2014 in Orlando, Florida USA, which held in Dublin, Ireland on the 28th of October, 2014, which held at the same time without attending none”, Kaase stated in the petition.
In the petition, it was also alleged that Okiro used his personal aides as front to collect daily transport allowances, DTA and other allowances.
Two police personnel, Ibitomi and Peter Opara and other assistants of Okiro were allegedly used to collect over N2million as DTA during the March 28 and April 12, 2015 general elections.
The petitioner who also alleged that his life is in danger over his petition said at a meeting which took place in June 2, 2015 at his office, Okiro had asked him to withdraw the said petition, retract connected publications in the media and forward a written apology to him.
Kaase is currently on suspension ostensibly over the petition.
Sources within ICPC said the commission has launched an intensive investigation into the matter in order to unravel the truth.
No reaction could be gotten from the PSC by the time the report was filed.