The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has cleared the Presidency of any wrongdoing in the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council saga, while recommending the prosecution of the council’s promoter, Adeniyi Adeyemi.
President Bola Tinubu received the commission’s interim investigation report on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This is as Adeyemi, on Thursday, declined to answer questions from members of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the establishment of the council, following the absence of his lawyers and his opposition to the closed-door interrogation adopted by the committee.
Briefing Journalists after presenting the report, ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu (SAN), said the investigation established that Adeyemi was never appointed by the Federal Government and that the PFIPC, also referred to in some documents as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, was never created by any law, Executive Order or valid government instrument.
According to him, investigators also uncovered two additional fictitious agencies allegedly created by Adeyemi using forged legislative instruments, the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency/Public-Private Partnership, which were allegedly used to open bank accounts and conduct unauthorized activities.
Adamu further disclosed that Adeyemi unlawfully took over the office of the defunct Presidential Economic Advisory Council after gaining unauthorized access to the facility and used the location to project legitimacy for the fake agency before visitors, government officials and foreign diplomats.