The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says? it is yet to arrest the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Limited, Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN) as the latter is still on admission at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos.
A credible source at the EFCC confided in LEADERSHIP yesterday, saying that the commission would act within the law setting it up over the handling of suspects allegedly involved in financial crimes.
According to the source, “I can tell you authoritatively that we are yet to arrest Babalakin. The whole noise is nothing but propaganda as there is no way one can arrest someone on a sick bed. As I am talking to you, Babalakin is still on admission at LUTH. We are a civilised anti-graft agency and we will not do anything outside the law.
“The commission is not harassing him as it was published in certain newspapers yesterday. What we are trying to do is to place him (Babalakin) on surveillance and ensure that he is available in court to take his plea over a 27-count charge of money laundering at the next adjourned date.”
When contacted on the matter, the spokesman of Bi-Courtney, Mr Dipo Kehinde, said, “my boss is still recuperating at LUTH. He has nothing to hide and will appear in court to defend himself when he is fit.”
Controversy has trailed the alleged presence of the EFCC operatives at a certain ward in LUTH where Babalakin has been admitted for an undisclosed ailment while the EFCC has insisted that it only placed him on surveillance in line with a court order.
The EFCC is prosecuting Babalakin and four others on a 27-count charge of alleged money laundering of about N3.5billion through a third party for ex-Delta State Governor, James Ibori. The other suspects are Alex Okoh, Stabilini Visinoni Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited and Remix Nigeria Limited.