The chairman, joint Senate Committee investigating the mismanagement of pension funds, Senator Aloysius Etuk has denied demanding N2billion in bribes from the chairman of the pension reform taskforce, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tueaday, Senator Etuk said the bribery allegation against the committee is part of plans by the chairman of the task force to divert the attention of the committee from the probe. He noted that a newspaper publication of May 7, claimed that Mr Maina, alleged that the committee and its chairman had demanded for a bribe from the task team.

He said the publication also said that the committee became biased against Mr. Maina and the task team following his refusal to give the alleged bribe.

Senator Etuk accused the task force of frustrating efforts by the committee to unravel the mismanagement of pension funds in the country saying Mr Maina has refused to cooperate with the Auditor-General of the Federation to audit the accounts and financial transaction carried out by task force team.

The Senator also alleged that there are pressures mounted on the committee by the task team using various highly placed persons.

“They were requesting for the tilting of this joint committee’s proceedings and final recommendation in favour of the task team to which this committee rejected,” he claimed.

The chairman called on the Police, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other law enforcement agencies to commence investigations into the bribe allegation.

“If proven to be true, I shall offer myself to be tied to the stake and be shot as an additional antidote to graft and corruption in our society,” he said.