$1m Was Found In Badeh’s House, EFCC Insists
Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd) being paraded by the EFCC Operatives[/caption]
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, said that its operatives found a cash sum of $1m house in the house of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd).
This is coming few hours after a lawyer to Badeh, Samuel O. Zibri refuted claims that the said sum was found in the ex-CDS’s house.
According to the lawyer, it “is not only malicious but wicked. It is totally false and smacks of media campaign of calumny against the person of Air Marshal Alex Badeh, (retd,).” He had further challenged the EFCC official to “substantiate his claim”.
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But in the resumed hearing, the anti-graft agency alleged that the money which was found in the bedroom of Badeh’s Abuja mansion was fraudulently removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force in 2013.
The commission further alleged that the ex-CDS purchased the house in which the money was found with dollar equivalent of N1.1bn.
EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), argued that although Badeh had denied ownership of the property, his belongings, including photographs were found in it during a search by the operatives of the commission.
Badeh is currently on remand in Kuje prison with respect to his ongoing trial for alleged diversion of about N3.97bn belonging to the Nigerian Air Force.
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Justice Okon Abang had fixed today, Thursday for hearing of the bail application, but prison officials did not produce him.
The judge later ruled that his presence could be dispensed with under section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, since the proceedings were for the hearing of an interlocutory application.
