Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ola Olukoyede has said the agency investigated the founder of Streams of Joy International Jerry Eze over suspected money laundering before clearing him.
Mr Olukoyede said the investigation lasted six months and was based on intelligence and petitions.
He spoke on Wednesday at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony in Abuja.
According to him, the EFCC opened the case after noticing foreign currency inflows into a domiciliary account linked to the cleric.
“We work by intelligence, we work by petitions. At some point, I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars, pounds were dropping like raindrops from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo,” he said.
He said the commission then ordered an investigation into the account and its owner.
“They said it’s one Pastor Jerry Eze of Streams of Joy. Go and investigate him. So we went into an investigation. We combed the books,” he said.
Olukoyede said after preliminary findings, Pastor Jerry Eze was invited for questioning.
He said the cleric explained the source of the funds and how they were used.
“So he came to my office. He told me what happens, how the money came, what he does, how he has been helping people and all of that,” he said.
The EFCC chairman said the commission had already completed its review before the meeting.
“I said, I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We have already done our work. I called you here to commend you,” he said.
Olukoyede said the investigation ended without findings of wrongdoing.
He added that the EFCC also has a preventive role in monitoring financial activity and not only prosecution.
He also said some religious leaders have faced investigation and prosecution in other cases and urged institutions to maintain accountability in their financial dealings.
Olukoyede said the agency will continue to monitor financial transactions where necessary.
