SENATE COMMITTEE SENDS OUT TOP EFCC OFFICIALS FROM HEARING VENUE

The Senate Wednesday walked out the representatives of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Lamorde who was invited over alleged diversion of N1trn recovered stolen funds.
Lamorde who was invited by the Senate following a petition written by the Chief Executive officer of Panic Alert Security Systems, Dr. George Uboh.
Lamorde sent in top officials of the Commission led by Barrister Chile Okoronma to the hearing on the petition.
But around 11.57am when the members of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public petitions chaired by Samuel Anyanwu were grilling Uboh, the EFCC representatives interjected.
Okoronma who is the legal director of the EFCC queried the mode of hearing of the Senate committee, saying the Commission should be allowed to witness the submission of the petitioner
But Senator Rafiu Ibrahim of Kwara South opposed him and suggested that the EFCC Representatives be walked out on the ground that Lamorde has applied to appear before the committee another day.
" Since the EFCC Representatives did not take oath before testifying before us, they should be walked out, " he said.
In his contribution, Senator Dino Melaye said the EFCC Representatives cannot dictate the mode of hearing of the committee, saying the Senate has prerogative to determine the methodology of their hearing.
Anyanwu, the Chairman of the committee backed his colleagues and asked the EFCC Representatives to leave the sitting room.
" The EFCC Representatives are not supposed to be here since the Commission has officially wrote us demanding that they should be given another date to appear, " he said.