The management of Innoson Group has warned on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to be objective in the ongoing case between it (Innoson) and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).
The group accused some officials of the anti-graft commission of working against its interest.
The group made the remarks in a statement issued by the Head of Corporate Communications, Innoson Group, Cornel Osigwe.
His words: “It has become necessary to address the modus operandi being used by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in prosecuting the alleged trumped up fraud charge against the Chairman of Innoson Group at the Lagos State High Court.
“Are some EFCC officers hell bent or sent to destroy Chief Innocent Chukwuma? Are these agents acting alone or are they being influenced by Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) in order to destroy Nigeria foremost industrialist?
“This question has become necessary after closely monitoring the activities or interest of EFCC in a clearly business dispute between Innoson Nigeria Ltd and Guaranty Trust Bank. The Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu often times have appeared as one who does his work based on objective principles and therefore should look into the activities of some of his officers who have taken the side of subjectivity.”
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He said instead of EFCC arresting and prosecuting GTB and its Managing Director, Mr. Segun Agbaje, since its investigations allegedly showed show that GTB stole money from Innoson’s account, EFCC had been busy allegedly twisting the facts and wanting to destroy Innoson’s chain of businesses “because he is an Igbo man.”
He said it was on record that GTB’s indebtedness to Innoson was over N22billion – arising from two separate judgment debts in suit numbers Fhc/L/cs/603/2006 and Fhc/AWK/CS/139/2013.
According to him, one of the judgments against GTB was as a result of the money it “stole” from Innoson’s account with it.
Both judgments, he said, were delivered by the Federal High Court, Ibadan, and Awka Divisions respectively.
“EFCC/GTB’s aim in sponsoring and championing this campaign is to force Innoson to stop or forgo this huge judgment debt. Recall that GTB had in affidavits it filed at the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division and the Supreme Court and deposed that if it pays the judgment debt it will collapse.
“EFCC is a Federal Government Agency, created by Law to fight against financial crimes and provide law and order in the business environment based on objective principles. Therefore, it should stand as an unbiased umpire in the case of Innoson Motors Nigeria Limited and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) and should not be manipulated by GTB to do its bidding at will,” he said.
