Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has said the commission investigated the founder of Streams of Joy International, Jerry Eze, for six months over suspected money laundering.

“I investigated this man for six months,” Mr Olukoyede stated while speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony held in Abuja on Wednesday.

The anti-graft boss said the investigation followed an intelligent reports and petitions after the agency observed large inflows of foreign currencies into Mr Eze’s domiciliary account.

“We work by intelligence, we work by petitions. At some point, I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops, from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo.

“I said who is this man? Yes, I’ve been hearing about his name, I’ve seen his face a couple of times. I never bothered about what he was doing. I knew he was a pastor.

“So they said this one is pastor of streams of joy, go and investigate him. So we went to the investigation. We combed the books,” the anti-graft boss narrated.

Mr Olukoyede, who said the commission subsequently invited Mr Eze for questioning after preliminary findings were compiled by its investigators, added findings showed the cleric did not commit any offence.

“He came to my office. He told me what happens and all of that, and how the money came, what he does, how he has been helping people, and all of that.

“I said, you know what, I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We have already done our work. I called you here to commend you,” the EFCC boss said.

Mr Olukoyede reiterated that the commission was committed to investigating financial crimes while also recognising individuals investigated and found to have acted with integrity.

He advised religious institutions to uphold integrity, insisting that places of worship should embrace and reflect righteousness rather than serve as cover for illicit and criminal activities.