EFCC Quizzes Former FCT Minister Bala Mohammed Over $1bn Contracts

EFCC Quizzes Former FCT Minister Bala Mohammed Over $1bn Contracts

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arrested the immediate past minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Bala Mohammed and took him for questioning over allegations of giving out $1 billion fictitious contracts.

According to The Nation, Mohammed was also questioned on the alleged allocation of 12 choice plots to his son, 37 other commercial plots of land worth about N8billion to his suspected front, Tariq Hammoud, and the controversial N1trillion Abuja land swap.

The anti-graft agency is said to have also placed a mansion believed to be worth N782 million, allegedly belonging to the ex-minister, under Interim Assets Forfeiture.

Mr Bala Mohammed was quizzed by EFCC operatives for about nine hours on Monday and subsequently detained.

Prior to Monday’s arrest of the ex-minister, the EFCC had interrogated his son, Shamsudeen Bala; his alleged front, Tariq Hammoud, and top directors of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, including those of Treasury, Ibrahim Bomoi; Land, Babayo Mainasara, and Abuja Geographical Information Service (AGIS), Ms Jamila Tangaza.

An EFCC source hinted that Mr Mohammed may be detained by the agency for some days because he had a lot of issues to explain to investigators.

“Some of these issues had been with the commission in the last three years,” the source said.

The EFCC source added: “Initial findings showed that the ex-minister used fictitious companies to award contracts worth N1billion in FCT. In one instance, a man with three companies was allowed to bid for one slot.

“About 16 companies used for fictitious contracts are under investigation because they did not supply items credited to them.

“He was also alleged to have allocated plots of land to his friends, business partners. For examples, he allocated 12 plots of land to his son, Shamsudeen and 37 commercial plots of land to his business front called Tariq Hammoud.”