Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration have questions to answer on allegations of corruption that have pervaded the recovery of the N1.03 trillion fine imposed on MTN Nigeria.
PDP also asked the President to explain how the sum was allegedly reduced to N330 billion, especially in the face of allegations that certain interests in the Presidential Villa, said to be very close to the President, "took a bribe of N500 million" before the reduction.
Abubakar Malami, minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), had after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, disclosed that the Federal Government approved the payment of N500 million to a team of external lawyers including seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who facilitated the recovery of the fine slammed on the telecommunications giant.
Malami said: "The Federal Government engaged the services of lawyers to put up defence on its behalf.
As a result, the parties eventually settled the case amicably. And arising from that settlement, the lawyers were entitled to their fees.
"The Federal Government has now sanctioned the payment of N500 million for the N330 billion agreed upon for the alleged breaches in their (MTN's) operations.
This amount is less than one per cent of the fee, instead of the internationally recognised fee, which is pegged at five per cent."
But the PDP noted: "It is, to say the least, disgusting that while this allegation of bribery at the Villa has remained uncleared by the Presidency, President Buhari, the same African Union (AU) Anti-Corruption Champion, on Wednesday, approved the frittering of another N500 million from the same fund, under controversial claims of professional fees to unnamed persons for unspecified services."
Kola Ologbondiyan, party's National Publicity Secretary, in a statement , said: "The nation had long expected Mr. President to clear the air on the sordid allegation of bribery in the Presidential Villa.
Rather than progressing in that direction, President Buhari has continued to act as if the demand by Nigerians to know the truth about the alleged bribery in the Villa over the payment of the MTN fine, does not matter."
The PDP challenged Buhari to disclose the basis for the N500million professional fee, asking: "What due process instruments did he rely upon? Who are these lawyers?
Who contracted them? Under what terms and what services did they render that... beyond the Attorney General of the Federation and the team of lawyers at the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and the Ministry of Justice?"
It added: "Now that it has become clear that the Buhari Presidency is entangled in sleazes over the MTN fine saga, the PDP charges President Buhari to end his concealment of corruption in the villa and show his sincerity by allowing an open inquest into his administration's dealings on the MTN fine payment."
Reacting to the accusations, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC), however, said the Presidency would not be distracted by spurious allegations, coming after Buhari delivered a crucial blow to the PDP, with last week's declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day.
He insisted the government's justice machinery, evident in the sentencing of two former governors to jail over corruption charges, would not be slowed down.
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