The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has uncovered two additional fictitious government agencies as investigations into the alleged activities of the so-called Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) continue to unravel what officials described as a sophisticated fraud network.
ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed the latest findings on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after presenting an interim report of the investigation to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Aliyu, investigators have confirmed that the alleged Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the organisation itself had no legal status, having neither been established through an Act of the National Assembly nor created by any executive order.
The commission also found that the appointment letter allegedly used by Adeyemi was forged.
Investigators further established that the fake PFIPC unlawfully occupied offices and utilised official materials that previously belonged to the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).
Aliyu said the suspects exploited lapses in verification procedures and inter-agency coordination to impersonate government officials and conduct illegal operations from the former PEAC offices.
As the probe widened, the anti-graft agency uncovered two more non-existent government bodies allegedly linked to the scheme.
“These agencies were created using forged legislative instruments and were used to open bank accounts for illegal activities,” he said.
The ICPC chairman explained that the group initially operated under the name Foreign Investment Promotion Council before changing it to the Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in what investigators believe was an attempt to widen its activities to include revenue generation.
He said, “The investigation found no funds were approved or disbursed for the fake PFIPC/PEAC, and there were no weaknesses in the State House or CBN system.”
Based on its interim findings, the commission has recommended the prosecution of Adeyemi, disciplinary measures against public officials suspected of aiding the operation, and reforms aimed at tightening internal control mechanisms across government institutions.
Aliyu disclosed that the investigation identified officials from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Budget Office of the Federation and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) as collaborators in the alleged scheme.
He, however, stressed that the investigation is still ongoing.
“The report is interim and the investigation continues to uncover more details to file criminal charges against Adeyemi and his collaborators,” he said.
Aliyu added that President Tinubu had been fully briefed on the commission’s findings and reiterated the administration’s commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability and a thorough resolution of the matter.
The ICPC launched its investigation after concerns emerged over the activities of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which allegedly operated as a federal agency despite having no legal foundation.
Earlier findings by the commission had already revealed that the purported council was never lawfully established, while its alleged Director-General, Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, was accused of using forged appointment documents and illegally occupying facilities previously assigned to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
(Ripples)