Senate orders suspension, investigation of FCDA officer over N525m bribery scandal

Senate has directed that Barrister Ehimony Sunday Joshua, staff of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) be suspended and investigated over alleged N525million bribery scandal he facilitated between FCDA and allotees of 206 hectares in Kyami District along Airport Road Abuja.

This directive followed a meeting†of the senate committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with the executive secretary of FCDA, solicitor-General of FCTA and relevant officials of FCTA and FCDA yesterday in Abuja.

The committee looked†into petitions on corrupt practices of some officers of the ministry of FCT Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) concerning plot numbers 14, 15, 16 located within cadastral zone E23 of Kyami district, Abuja.

Senator Dino Melaye, Chairman of the committee and other members, after hearing from all the parties involved in the shady deal ordered the authority of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to place Joshua on immediate suspension pending the outcome of investigation.

Trouble for Joshua who works in the legal secretariat department of the agency began with revelation of his alleged shocking involvement in†bribery scandal by three out of the 15 allottees of the 206 hectares.

The three allottees alleged that Joshua refused to vacate†litigation caveat placed on their plots of land, as done to the 12 other allotees for refusing to pay N35million bribe into two different bank accounts belonging to him.

The litigation caveat came as a result of litigation slammed against the 15 allotees by Toni Asuni and Bashiru Dantata on behalf of Nigeria Polo Association as purported first allotee of the land which supposed to have been vacated when the High Court of FCT, Abuja struck out the case on the grounds that †”Registered Trustees of Nigeria Polo Association could not be found in the register of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

One of the petitioners , Lady Laurel King said Joshua in a recorded telephone conversation with her project coordinator, Bishop David Angel on 23rd March 2016, submitted two different personal bank accounts into which N35million bribe should be paid in sums of N30 and N5million respectively .

“ We first refused to pay but after persistent pressure that the monies must be paid before lifting the litigation caveat, I paid N5, 000 each into the two accounts through my secretary on the†19th of June †this year as I needed evidence to nail him”, she said.