Saraki under strict EFCC surveillance as his houses are seized

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized some houses belonging to Senate President Bukola Saraki , SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
The houses, which are located at 15 a , 15 b and 17 MacDonald Road , Ikoyi , Lagos , are said to belong to Saraki .
However , the EFCC was said to be unsure of which of the properties that actually belong to the Senate President and decided to place inscriptions and stickers on all of them .
While 15 a and 15 b were declared by Saraki in his asset declaration form , it is believed that some other houses on the street were bought by the Senate President from the Presidential Implementation Committee for the Sales of Government Property through shell companies .
His relative , who did not want to be named , told our correspondent that the houses were seized on Friday .
He said , “ The EFCC had been making inquiries into the finances and assets of Saraki for quite some time . They came to inscribe ‘EFCC, Under Investigation ’ in red on the walls and the fences . The irony is that even houses that don ’t belong to Saraki were marked .
“From what we were told , they are keeping him under strict surveillance ahead of May 29 , 2019 when they may invite him .”
The EFCC had , while presenting evidence against Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in 2016, alleged that he owned houses on MacDonald Road but there were discrepancies in the addresses .
The EFCC witness , Michael Wetkas, had said investigation revealed that House No . 15 MacDonald Road , Ikoyi , Lagos , and Block 15 Flat 1 to 4 on the same street belonged to Saraki .
According to him , the Senate President bought the properties from the Presidential Committee on Sale of Federal Government Landed Properties in Lagos through his companies .
He added that the defendant made a bank draft in the name of TYNITY Company Limited , which he declared in the asset declaration form.
Wetkas noted that when the EFCC investigation team wrote to the presidential committee seeking clarification, the committee said from their records , the only property sold to the company was No . 15 Macdonald Street , Ikoyi .
Wetkas said 75 per cent , which amounted to N123 .7m was paid for House No . 15 MacDonald Road , Ikoyi , through a bank draft from the account of one of Saraki’ s company called Skyview Properties Limited in Access Bank .
He also said investigation revealed that Saraki made a bank draft through his company TYNITY and paid for House No . 17 MacDonald Road in Ikoyi , Lagos , in the sum of N 256 .3 m .
The witness had said , “ My lord , there was a draft of N 12 .8 m and another draft of N 20 m from Zenith Bank as well as a draft of N 4m from GTBank as part of payment for the purchase of House No . 17 MacDonald Street .
“The N 20 m draft came from Carlys properties and Investment Limited and a draft of 136 .1 m was made on January 13 , 2007 for the purchase of same property .
“Another draft of N180 .6 m was made through Saraki ’s personal bank account in GTB.’