It was learnt that the commission had asked Amosu and others, who are still being detained over the $2.1bn arms deal, to refund some money or contract sums traced to them.
Findings showed that the former Chief of Air Staff was being interrogated in connection with 10 contracts awarded by the Nigeria Air Force between 2014 and 2015, totalling $930.5m.
It was gathered that the EFCC’s operatives met a brick wall when the former NAF chief refused to make any commitment to return any money or contract sums, which had been allegedly traced to him.
A source, who confided in one of our correspondents on Tuesday, said as part of moves to recover the funds, the commission was making the signing of an undertaking to refund money as a precondition for granting the suspects administrative bail.
The source, who did not state the amount the former chief of air staff had been asked to pay, said, “As part of efforts to recover funds looted from the NSA office, suspects are being asked to write an undertaking that they will return the money before granting them administrative bail.
“Among others, Amosu is being quizzed over $930m contracts by the Air Force, but the commission had not made the progress it desires because he has not signed any undertaking to return any money. He has not provided the information the commission is looking for.”
It was learnt that most of the questions asked Amosu centred on the procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at cost of $136.9m.
The helicopters were said to have been excessively priced and not operationally airworthy at the time of delivery.
A brand new unit of such helicopters costs about $30m.
Those who are still being detained by the EFCC include a colonel of the Nigerian Army, who served as the military assistant to a former NSA, the late Gen. Andrew Azazi; former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki(retd.) as well as an Austrian citizen, Mr. Wolfgang Reinl.
An operative of the commission, who confided in one of our correspondents, said both men were detained in connection with some funds deployed in the training of 750 Special Forces in Belarus.
The Special Forces were drawn from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Police to beef up the fighting force against the Boko Haram terror group in the North-East.
It is the belief in the EFCC that the Austrian spent just a fraction of millions of dollars said to have been released for the training of the Special Forces.
It was learnt that the commission was keen on ensuring the retrieval of government funds released for arms procurement, which were allegedly diverted into other uses.
The source added, “The Federal Government is focusing serious attention on retrieving the arms funds from those under probe.
“There are some people who are still in detention of the EFCC because they are not cooperating. Such people have spent weeks there.
“The commission is not just keeping them, the commission is exploring avenues to get some of the funds back. It is not just about prosecution.
“The operatives are also telling the high profile persons to sign an undertaking as a condition for their release. Many of those detained may not have cooperated.”
Punch
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