The Chairman of the Senate Joint Committee investigating pension administration in the country, Senator Aloysius Etuk says the operations of the pension review task team in handling the police pension fund is illegal.
Speaking at the on-going probe into pension administration in the country, Senator Etuk accused the task team of opening three accounts without authorization even when the Minister of Finance had directed the freezing of all pension accounts.
Members of the committee also warned that it would order the arrest of the Auditor General, Accountant General and Head of Service of Bayelsa state should they refuse to appear before the committee next Tuesday.
The committee invited the Bayelsa state officials to explain why the state government has refused to pay gratuity for retired pensioners from 2005 till date.
Meanwhile reports say over 32 civil servants including private employees were arrested by the task force team saying those arrested were part of the fraudsters who prevented the retirees from getting their pensions now totalled N67bn.
Also a former director in the pension department of the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, four former permanent secretaries has been arrested for the alleged fraud
The task force comprises of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and State Security Service.