EFCC releases Betta Edu after seizing passport, grilling

EFCC releases Betta Edu after seizing passport, grilling

Suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission NewsTrends learnt she was released on bail Wednesday morning but ordered to report to the EFCC daily.
This came after Edu was grilled for hours on Tuesday and her travel passport seized.
Edu is facing investigations over financial scandals in the ministry.
She arrived at the EFCC headquarters, Abuja at 10am on Tuesday and was quizzed by the commission’s investigators until night time.
She was interrogated over the N44bn fraud uncovered in the ministry.
Managing directors of three commercial banks were also questioned on Tuesday over the fraud.
The scandal involving Edu became open after a leaked memo revealed that the suspended minister directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585m to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
The minister had claimed that the N585m payment was meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, describing the allegations against her as baseless.
The Media Assistant to the minister, Rasheed Olarewaju, said in a statement that it was legal within the civil service for such payments to be made into private accounts of staff members, especially project accountants.
The President on Monday suspended Edu and directed her to hand over to the permanent secretary in the ministry.
On Tuesday, Edu honoured the EFCC invitation and she was subjected to marathon interrogation by investigators.