WorldStage Newsonline– As controversy rages over an allegation by Binance, a global cryptocurrency institution that members of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Financial Crimes demanded a $150 million bribe from its employees, members of the committee have pushed for a legal action against a news medium that was said to have wrongly reported the context of their discussion with Binance.
Members of the committee headed by Hon. Ginger Obinna Onwusibe are also disposed to the idea of a world press conference to set the record straight on the allegation.
The committee during a press briefing on Tuesday at the National Assembly said legal action against the news medium would be without prejudice to their rights of freedom of expression, to keep the media on their toes and hold them responsible for their tendency to casting sensational but damaging headlines and reporting.
They regretted that while the headline of the news medium screamed the allegation by Binance, the report was ambiguous about the identities of who or those that demanded gratification from representatives of the cryptocurrency company to impede investigation.
They also expressed disappointed that the media, rather than support the lawmakers in their function of legislation for the good of the Nigerian masses, were mostly interested in sensational reporting that lowers the estimation of the country before the global community.
While accusing the media of taking pleasure in pouncing on the legislators at the slightest opportunity, they stated that they had been too tolerant of attacks on them and that henceforth they were not going to fold their arms to let the media have field day, but start to hold them accountable for any deviation from professional standard of reporting.
Citing that happenings in the country’s political sphere were not strange, a member of the committee at the briefing said he had to ward off queries from some members of the public, both local and foreign, on the allegation by referring them to former US President Donald Trump’s phenomenon in a country regarded as champion of democracy.
Speaking at the briefing, Hon. Obinna Onwisibe, who denied the $150 million bribery allegation, challenged those behind the allegation to unveil the “unknown persons” who approached Binance employees and suggested to them to make a payment in settlement of the allegations.
He said: “Following formal communications between the Committee and Binance, 10th January 2024 was agreed upon by the parties as a convenient date for a Public Hearing on the matter. Subsequently and before the agreed date, Binance through their Counsel reached out to the Committee to request for a pre-hearing meeting to give them deeper insight into the allegations against them which will assist them in preparing for the Public Hearing.
“The Committee approved the request of the Binance team and scheduled the pre-hearing meeting for the 8th of January 2024 at the National Assembly Complex.
“On the 8th of January 2024, the Committee represented by three of its members and its Clerk led by Hon. (Chief) Peter Akpanke (Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku Federal Constituency), met with a six-member team representing Binance. Detailed facts on the allegations against Binance as contained in the aforesaid.
“Petitions were made available to the Binance team to assist them in preparing for the Public Hearing scheduled for the 10th day of January 2024. The meeting was open, transparent and ended on a cordial note. No solicitation or demands of any type was made by representatives of the Committee to Binance at the meeting.”
According to him, Binance belatedly came up with fabricated, false and malicious allegations of solicitations for bribes by the Committee in order to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians and the general public with the view to draw away the attention of the world from its unlawful refusal to appear at a legitimate and Constitutional Parliamentary Public Hearing to answer to allegations of criminal and fraudulent activities.
The allegations, he said, were totally false and unfounded.
“The Committee wishes to emphasize that all interactions with Binance were formal, open and transparent. The Committee never met with the Binance team outside the National Assembly nor did the Committee delegate any individual or entity to meet with the Binance Team on its behalf for any purpose,” Onwusibe stated.
While the briefing was going on, two members of the House of Representatives: Hon. Akintude Rotimi (House Spokesperson) and Hon. Dr. Patrick Umoh (Chairman House committee on Monitoring, Evaluation and Implementation of the Legislative Agenda) came with message of solidarity from Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for Onwusibe’s committee.
The Speaker, in the message delivered by Umoh, vowed that the 10th Assembly would ensure that those behind the $140 million bribery scandal were brought to book while reiterating his stance to protect the integrity of the House and assuring Hon. Obinna of the House’s resolve to ensure that he came out clean.
He said: “We are here on the mandate of the honourable speaker to one, monitor proceedings and protect the image of the 10th House of Representatives. That’s why we are here Mr. Chairman.
“And we are part and parcel of what you are doing because we are all very interested in the credibility of the 10th House of Representatives and we also have to ensure that Nigerians know the truth.
“This is the people’s House and as far as I’m concerned, as far as 10th House of Representatives is concerned, anti-corruption is a core mandate of our committee when it comes to monitoring and evaluation of our agenda.
“It is with dismay that we have observed the trend where the 10th House of Representatives has been blackmailed by individuals, corporate organizations, some organizations who are themselves not known to law, coming to blackmail the Committee on anti-corruption.
“So, the House notes with dismay, the House is worried, the House is uncomfortable that when negative news trends we should also be interested in what is the truth. We are here elected by the people of Nigeria to represent this country and to ensure that we make laws for the good governance of our country Nigeria.
“And the best, the only compliment that we should enjoy from Nigerians is that encouragement. So, Nigerians particularly members of the National Assembly should be interested when we hear of these blackmails, this trending news, the negative news, unprintable things said about the 10th House of Representatives.
“Mr. Chairman, we can vouch for your integrity, which is why you are appointed to chair the anti-corruption of financial crimes Committee of the House. So, be rest assured that we will stand by you and we would defend you because we know you. You have worked with us and we have worked with you to protect the collective integrity of the 10th House of Representatives.
“So, Mr. Chairman let us assure you as a committee that we are interested in this matter and we will ensure that you come out clean because we know you are clean, you are responsible.
“For all reliefs, decisions the Committee has taken we would partner with this Committee to ensure that those involved, those concerns pay for it. They will be brought to justice because liability has to be attached to every action, particularly negative action that is projected at bringing down the integrity of the 10th House of Representatives.”
