Former chairman tasked to assist UBS inquiry

National

CHAIRMAN of the former Central Supply and Tenders Board (CSTB) Philip Eludeme appeared briefly before the Royal Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) loan deal yesterday.
COI chairman Sir Salamo Injia told the inquiry that Eludeme, who was the CSTB secretary when the UBS loan was obtained in 2014, was invited to appear before it to see if he would give evidence for the UBS loan as well as the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC). Sir Salamo said the COI was looking for documents relating to contracts which the CSTB may have awarded in respect to services.
He said the COI received some documents from the current chairman of the National Procurement Commission (NPC) Dr Ken Ngangan.
NPC took over from CSTB in 2018.
Sir Salamo said Dr Ngangan had provided documents in relation to the UBS loan and not the IPIC loan.
He had directed that Eludeme peruse the documents that Dr Ngangan had provided and if some documents were missing, Eludeme would be tasked to provide those.
Eludeme was represented by his counsel Tom Sirae MGregor, who told the COI that his client would provide whatever documents that were required if he had any information.
Sir Salamo said NPC acting chief executive officer Simon Bole had provided some documents while secretary Babaga Naime had not provided any information at all.
He directed Eledume to confer with Dr Ngangan, Naime and Bole regarding the documents provided to the COI to establish if there were any relevant documents pertaining to the IPIC loan of 2009 and UBS loan of 2014 that may be missing.
Sir Salamo further directed that the COI secretary Mathew Yuangu allow Eludeme access to check the documents that were provided by Dr Ngangan and Bole.
The matter was adjourned to July 6.