Media Wire Express Correspondent
The Dangote Group has expressed readiness to assist Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in its investigations, following the commission’s visit to the company’s headquarters on January 4.
The Group said it was cooperating with the commission which is investigating the possible misuse of foreign exchange from the central bank.
According to a statement by the manufacturing conglomerate, it received a letter from the anti-graft agency on Dec. 6.
The letter, which was reportedly sent to other conglomerates, is said to have requested for details of every foreign exchange allocated by the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2014 till date.
The company says despite sending “a first batch of documents to the body, officers insisted on visiting the group’s headquarters.
Dangote said at the moment no accusations of wrongdoing had been made against any company within the group.
The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele who was appointed in 2014 was removed from office last June and incarcerated.
The group is owned by one of Africa’s richest men Aliko Dangote. It said it first received a request for documents last month and delivered a batch on January 4, but the EFCC did not accept the documents, insisting that its officers visit the Dangote offices to collect them.
“Whilst our representatives were still at the EFCC’s office to deliver the documents, a team of their officers proceeded to visit our offices to demand for the same documents in a manner that appeared designed to cause us unwarranted embarrassment,” the company said in a statement.
“We remain committed to providing the EFCC with all necessary information and cooperation.”
The EFCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dangote said at the moment no accusations of wrongdoing had been made against any company within the group, which counts cement and fertilizer manufacturing, sugar refining and a 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery among its businesses.
source:Africa News
