Osinbajo's panel grills suspended SGF, Lawal for 2 hours

A week after his last ap­pearance at the Aso Rock Villa, suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Ba­bachir Lawal, was at the Villa again yesterday to face the Pres­idential panel probing allega­tions of corruption against him.

Lawal is being investigated for allegedly influencing grass-cutting contract awards to com­panies he has interest in under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE).

He was quizzed by the panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for about two hours before he left the Villa.

Unlike after his first appear­ance last Wednesday when his suspension was announced, Babachir did not speak to the press yesterday after he was done with the panel.

The panel also consists of the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

It had a day earlier also quizzed the suspended Direc­tor-General of the National In­telligence Agency (NIA), Ayo­dele Oke, over the N13 billion in foreign and local currencies found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apart­ment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Oke, who appeared before the panel last Wednesday, had claimed that the stash of cash belonged to the NIA.

The committee is expect­ed to submit its report by next week.-The Authority