Senate President, Bukola Saraki has denied ever importing any SUV Range Rover jeep, saying “No document shows my name.”
Saraki said this, Monday, when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics and public petitions on allegation of non Payment of duty for the alleged imported jeep.
Sen. Ali Ndume while testifying on Monday before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges over the alleged importation of bullet proof vehicle by Senate President Bukola Saraki that was seized by Customs said that the “bullet proof SUV allegedly belonging to the Senate President was cleared with fake documents.”
He however reiterated saying, “Me, Ali Ndume, has no interest in this case. If I had come with documents that Saraki imported this or that, that means I have interest. I don’t.”
But in his defense, Senate President, Bukola Saraki said, “I am not an importer and I know nothing about the agent or any clearing company.” “It is important that I clear my name. The documents are there and none of the documents are in my name,” Saraki said.
Bukola Saraki says “We must protect this institution, that’s why I took time to be here to clear my name and charges against me.”
However, both the car importer, Tokunbo Akindele and the Car agent, Mr. Lanre Shittu who, after taking an oath before the Committee on Ethics, also denied that the bullet-proof car belongs to Saraki. They however said that the National Assembly only advertised for the purchase of such cars and they supplied.
“In 2015, we imported the bullet proof SUV for the company use, we later changed our minds, as we got an alternative.” He said further that, “We received the car in 2015, the car was not imported for Senator Saraki.”
Corroborating this point, chairman Senate Service, Senator Gobir said, “We buy our cars from dealers and dealers buy from the importers. Saraki has nothing to do with documents or SUV.”
“We facilitated the sales of the Vehicle to the National Assembly. We never sold any vehicle to Saraki,” said Lanre Shittu.
The SUV was consigned to Lanre Shittu in October, 2016. “Mr Wale Tibubu approached me on how they can sell the Vehicle,” said Shittu.
“We requested for SUV documents from Mr Wale Tibubu of Oando, and we discovered they had fake documents from Customs.
The Committee therefore adjourned further hearing on the case to Tuesday, 28th March to allow @CustomsNG state it’s role in the SUV documentation.
Recall that the Senate, last week, called for the sack of Mr. Ali for failing to appear before it in his Customs Uniform to explain his controversial policy on the payment of import duties on old vehicles on Nigerian roads.
But an accusation came last week that the Senate and Saraki were merely on a vengeful mission against the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, boss, Hameed Ali because of the alleged seizure of a bullet proof Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle, SUV, valued at N298 million, by Ali’s men, hinged on the allegation that he Saraki refused to pay the Customs duty of N74 million.
Courtesy: VANGUARD
