THE House of Representatives has clarified that its Committee on Ethics and Privileges has not swept the bribery allegations against embattled former Chairman of the Capital Market, Herman Hembe and his Deputy Chris Azugbogu under the carpet.It also explained factors the raison d'etre for the suspension of the probe into the capital market operations in the countries.Acting Chairman of the Committee, Samson Osagie who addressed Journalists yesterday, insisted that the panel was determined to investigate the allegations.He explained that the committee met several times on the matter and received inputs from the parties involved but had to halt proceedings to avoid what he called 'a case of double jeopardy', when it realised that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), charged the lawmakers to court over one of the two allegations brought against them by the suspended Chief Executive Officer/ Director-General of the Security and Exchange Committee (SEC), Arunmah Oteh.His words: 'Just about the time we were going to start, it was first thought that since the Security and Exchange Commission was going to be involved in the day today probing of the new adhoc Committee, we should give a little time so that we do not subject those from the commission to what looks like a double jeopardy, that there was no need to be calling them from one committee room to another.'We also felt that the commission should not be moving from one committee room to another. Unfortunately, we could not commence hearing on the allegations because before the adhoc Committee on Capital Market could finish its assignment of probing the capital market, the EFCC had taken the chairman and deputy to court on the same allegation and it is a standing rule of law that when a matter is before a court of law, all other organs of government charged with the same responsibility must some exercise patience till they know the outcome.'The responsibility of the Ethics and Privileges committee, since it has to do with the conduct of its own members, we also felt that we cannot also subject them to double jeopardy. Today the chairman and deputy are facing trial before a federal High Court in Abuja and we thought it wise for us to begin to subject them to trial within the House.'So for now, we are awaiting the final judgment and we hope that by the time they are through, the other leg of the assignment, which has to do with the request for money by the committee chairman and his deputy will be looked at by the committee of the House. Essentially, this has been the reason for the delay. It is very technical and we do not intend to sweep the issues under the carpet'.Specifically, Oteh had accused Hembe and his deputy, Chris Azugbogu of not being competent to carry out the investigation of the near collapse of the capital market since they allegedly demanded for N39 million from the commission as contribution to the public hearing.She also alleged that the chairman asked for an additional N5 million from her as well as raised an issue of him failing to attend a conference in Dominican Republic after collecting money from the commission.Based on the gravity of the allegations, the House suspended the duo as leaders of the committee and set up an adhoc committee led by Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi to carry out the investigation afresh. It also assigned the minority leader of the House, Samson Osagie, to act as the chairman of the Ethics and Privileges Committee to investigate the veracity or otherwise of the claims made by SEC.
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