The Leadership of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly yesterday admitted that members of the House were grilled by the operatives of the anti-fraud department of the Nigeria Police over the controversy triggered by the alleged diversion of N78million approved by the state government for the 43rd Common Wealth Parliamentary Association in South Africa which was held? from June 29 to July 8.?
The action of the Police was based on a petition filed before the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, by a civil society group, Transparency and Good Governance Coalition claiming that the Speaker, Kombowei Benson and members recieving N78m to enable them attend the 43rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in South Africa and allegedly diverted it.
The allegations and the decision of the House members to embark on six weeks recess triggered off another controversy with the Leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria describing such action as “distasteful” and “a show of shame”.
But the Speaker,Hon.Kombowei Benson argued yesterday in Yenagoa during the 2-day Capacity Training for Journalists organised by the Federated Correspondent Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) that the claims were not true and that the members of the House have been questioned by the anti-fraud unit of the Nigerian Police on the allegations.
Speaking through the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Public Affairs,Mr.PreyeKreyamo,the Speaker said though the House members arrived late for the conference due to late procurement of Visas,the members returned the sum of N19.5million of unspent fund on registration for the conference,”the Speaker is a God fearing man and he is a man that does not do anything that is fraudulent.”