EFCC pounces on ex-Senate President David Mark

This may not be the best of times for former Senate President, David Mark. The ranking lawmaker is currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering offence.

Saturday Sun gathered that the probe of the former number three citizen started soon after President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in on May 29. A reliable source within the anti-graft agency disclosed that the investigation borders “on a huge inflow into a bank account linked to Senator Mark, which was immediately flagged as suspicious transaction.”

“We have done a lot of work on the case but tracing the source and the purpose of the huge inflow which runs into several millions are posing some challenges. We were sure of filing charges against the Senator but we are yet to get the final instruction”, the source who refused to give further details stated.

It was gathered that operatives handling the case had scheduled interrogation of Senator Mark as the last stage of the investigation but the former Senate President was already aware of the development. “He must have been alerted by his bankers from whom we have demanded some documents in relation to the transaction”, another source in the anti-graft agency added.

Efforts to get Senator Mark’s reaction through his spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan proved abortive as his known GSM lines were all switched off as at the time of filing this report.

In the same vein, calls and text messages to the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren for official confirmation of the development, were also ignored.

A source close to Senator Mark however told Saturday Sun that the embattled EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde launched the investigation to blackmail the former Senate President “for failing to speak against a public hearing being conducted by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions over allegations that Lamorde misappropriated billions of naira and properties recovered from former IGP, Tafa Balogun and ex-governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, among others.

“The former Senate President is not the only target, Lamorde is desperate to hold on to any straw and drag down along with himself as many as possible should the Senate proceed with his probe. He can rest assured that we will resist his blackmail and make him and his agency accountable”, the source added.

SUNNEWS