The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it has quizzed the Director General of Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo Kawu over corruption allegations.
The spokesperson of the ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa in a statement on Thursday said the DG was quizzed over the misapplication of N2.5 billion seed grant released to the agency by the federal government for its digital switch-over programme.
She explained that Kawu and other top management staff of the agency are being investigated over their alleged involvements in the misapplication of the fund.
The Presidency had in 2016, released N10 billion to the Ministry of Information and Culture for the digital switch-over.
Okoduwa said the programme entails migration of telephone lines from analogue to digital platforms and a White Paper was issued directing that the process be specifically handled by government-affiliated companies.
Based on the guidelines provided by the White Paper, two companies were nominated to handle the process, one of which was ITS, an affiliate of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
N1.7 billion was released to it as seed grant for the commencement of the switch-over.
However, ICPC through investigation discovered that the process was fraught with alleged corrupt practices, Okoduwa said.
She noted that, “It was alleged that Dr. Kawu fraudulently recommended a private company called Pinnacle Communications Limited, to the Minister of Information and Culture, for the release of N2.5 billion against the guidelines contained in the White Paper.”
She said, “The N2.5 billion was paid into the Zenith Bank account of Pinnacle Communications Limited in May/June, 2017 for the programme.”
“The DG NBC during interactions with the Commission could not justify why the government White Paper was flouted leading to the release of money to an unqualified company,” she added.
However, Okoduwa said, the Managing Director of Pinnacle, Dipo Onifade, during interrogation confirmed the release of the funds to the company.
She said he could not justify that the money was used for the purpose of digital switch-over, adding that the Commission through investigation discovered several suspicious transfers of large sums of funds from the account of the company into the bank accounts of several organisations and individuals.
She said, “It found out that N100 million of the fund was paid into the personal bank account of Mr. Onifade in Zenith Bank which he claimed was for legal services that he had rendered to the same Pinnacle Communications where he is an employee.”
“Also investigation revealed that another N450 million was transferred into the account of Sabdat Investment Limited, a Bureau de Change, which then converted the money into dollars and handed it over to the Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Limited, Mr. Lucky Omoluwa, in his Kaduna residence as he usually did with other funds.
“Omoluwa had repeatedly failed to honour invitations from the Commission to come and explain his role in the alleged fraud.
“He had also sought the leave of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to stop the investigation as well as unfreeze the Zenith Bank account of the company that was frozen by ICPC.
Okoduwa said, He was ordered by the same court to appear before ICPC for interrogation before the next adjourned date of 3rd December, 2018 before his case would be heard.
“In compliance with the court order, Mr. Omoluwa has appeared before the Commission where he made useful statements to investigators,” the ICPC said.
