Aviation fund probe: NAMA director arrested - As FAAN ex-MD denies N2bn offer by Odili

By Ayo-Lawal Gbenoba and Idowu Samuel - 06.07.2008

ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is gradually spreading its dragnet in probing the management of the N19.5 billion aviation intervention fund, as the Director of Engineering, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Engineer Godfrey Eze, has been arrested.

Sources told the Sunday Tribune that the director’s arrest came on the heels of the arrest and docking of former aviation ministers, Professor Babalola Borishade and Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, and the former director-general, NAMA, Mr. Rowland Iyayi, at an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Engineer Eze, who was arrested for his role in the N6.5 billion Safe Tower Project, was said to be one of the three people who travelled to Austria to negotiate with Mr. Georg Eider whose company, Anrsatel Ges MBH, Vienna, Austria, was allegedly involved in the inflation of the Safe Tower contract sum from the initial N1 billion to N6.5 billion.

When Georg Eider was earlier arrested by the EFCC, his squealing led to the arrest of Borishade and Fani-Kayode who were arraigned at the Abuja Magistrate’s Court with Iyayi on Friday.

Subsequently, according to Sunday Tribune sources, further revelations indicted the NAMA director of engineering who, as at Friday evening, was being interrogated by the officials of the EFCC at their headquarters in Abuja.

A former director-general of NAMA, Mr. Rowland Iyayi, was also arrested by officials of the EFCC last Monday, when former aviation ministers, Professor Borishade and Chief Fani-Kayode were arrested shortly after appearing before the Senate Committee on Aviation probing the management of the N19.5 billion Aviation Management Fund.

Iyayi was also at the sitting of the probe panel but he did not testify before the committee before they were arrested as they stepped out of the hearing room.

The Austrian, Georg Eider, made useful statements when quizzed, which led to the arrest of Borishade Fani-Kayode and Iyayi while their own arrest and subsequent arraignment in court has roped in the NAMA director of engineering.

Spokesperson of the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed to Sunday Tribune in a telephone chat that Engineer Godfrey Eze was arrested by the commission in connection with the aviation fund scam and was being interrogated in Abuja.

Meanwhile, the former Managing Director of FAAN has denied ever alleging that the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili offered the sum of N2 billion to the Ministry of Aviation for repair of Port Harcourt Airport in order to promote his presidential ambition.

Yusuf said the presentation he made to the Senate probe panel about the spending of N19.5 billion Intervention Fund never implied in anyway that he accused Odili of using the sum to promote his presidential ambition.

In a press statement he made available to Sunday Tribune, the former MD FAAN said, “I simply stated the fact that the release of the N2 billion by the Rivers State government for the Rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Airport coincided with the commencement of the presidential race.

“It is not true that the N2billion was taken, and illegally diverted from the N19.5billion intervention fund. Neither did I say that Dr. Peter Odili donated money to the Ministry of Aviation and FAAN for political reasons