Onwu Sacks Top Civil Servant After Corruption Probe
November 30, 2019 12:22 PMU
President Victor Onwu on Friday sacked F.S's most senior civil servant after an investigation into graft allegations, the highest profile casualty of the anti-corruption pledge that helped bring him to power.
He ordered an investigation into Edward Brett, an ally and one of his first appointments, after lawmakers in a separate probe alleged that he inflated the value of contracts for humanitarian aid projects in Africa as part of a suspected kickback scheme.
"The president accepted the recommendation of the panel to terminate the appointment of Mr. Brett," presidential spokeswoman Cara Viyara said in a statement.
Permanent secretary to the government of the Federated States Edward Brett, who has denied wrongdoing, did not immediately respond to phone calls and a text message requesting a comment.
Onwu's two presidential spokesmen declined to comment on whether there were plans to prosecute Brett.
The director general of the Federal Intelligence Bureau (FIB), Franklin Ayoh, was also sacked on Friday in connection with the discovery of large amounts of cash in foreign and local currencies by the federal police bureau in a residential apartment in Cliffhill this year, Viyara said.
The discovery of more than D3 million in cash was investigated by the same panel, led by the Minister of State, as had looked into Brett, but any connection between the two cases has not been made clear. Both men were suspended in September.
The FIB had insisted it was the owner of the money. The bureau could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.
Onwu took office in May 2018 after winning an election largely on his promise to end corruption that in one of the Pacific's biggest economies but this is one of the major convictions.
Commenting on the case, vice president Sara Iehochanan said, "this is a clear evidence of our government's commitment in wiping corruption and making these Federated States one of the biggest economies in the world".
The president is yet to replace Brett but rumours has it that former Foreign Minister Zachary Hobbs is most likely to take up the post.
