CODE of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) yesterday
commenced its trial against the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, on a
13-count charge over assets declaration after several futile efforts to quash the
proceedings, with more dire disclosures of how his particular account was
credited with different figures ranging from N600,000 to N900,000 in a day.
Prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN)
called his first witness, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), Michael Wetkas, testified of how Saraki allegedly diverted
Kwara State’s funds while in office as the governor between 2003 and 2011
adding that Saraki used his domestic aides to lodge the funds into his account.
Wetkas who was part of the EFCC team alongside CCB
that investigated the various petitions filed against Saraki, and led in
evidence by Jacobs, told the tribunal that one of the aides, Abdul Adama, made
cash lodgements 50 times on the same account ranging between N600, 000 to N900,
000 in one day as well as another aide identified as Ubi, who also made 20 cash
lodgments into the same account the same day.
“The
defendant was the governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011. Shortly after
the expiration of his second term in 2011, the EFCC received several petitions
from various groups. One of them is Kwara Freedom Network. While
investigating the petitions, the EFCC received an intelligence report in 2014
about some suspicious transactions relating to the defendant.
“On the receipt of the report, the Chairman (of
EFCC) set up a team of three investigators, led by myself and two others –
Chris Odofin and Nura Bako.
“Our finding on the intelligence report revealed
that there were several companies, which are linked to the defendant. Some of
these companies include Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited and Skyview
Properties Ltd, Tiny-Tee and several others.
Some of these companies maintain accounts with
GTB, Zenith Bank, Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank Plc).
“We discovered that the defendant maintained
three accounts with GTB, one a naira account, another is US dollars account and
the third is pound sterling account.
“The accounts were analysed in the course of the
investigation. The first account, which is a naira account, was analysed. And
it was discovered that between 2005 and 2013, the account had total inflow and
outflow of over N4billion.
“We also discovered that the major source of
inflow into the account was loans taken from GTB within the period. The loan
disbursement into the account ýwas about N2.5billion and other source of inflow
into the account was massive cash lodgments by individuals. Other inflow was
from Cailise Properties and Investment Limited.
“My Lord, it was also discovered that most
inflows into the account was basically used for acquisition of properties. The dollar account was also analysed. We
discovered that the major source of inflow into the account was from Cailisýe
Properties and Investment Limited, which was over $2m. Another source of inflow
into the account was from bureau de change companies, as well as cash
lodgements by individuals.
“The total turnover of the dollar account between
2009 and 2013 was over $6m. The total inflow into the account we discovered
that up to $3.4m ýwas wired to American Express Services Europe Limited, which
was used to fund the defendants’ American Express Service New York Card account
number 374588216836009.
“The other part of fund into the dollar account
was changed into pound sterling and also wired to UK to Fortis Bank for the
purchase of a property in London. The amount wired was over £1.5m. Because of the suspicious inflow into the
account with GTB, it became necessary to invite the bank officials.
“The reason for the invitation of the bank
officials is because some of the individuals making cash lodgments into the
account were staff of the bank. That was why we invited them. One Oluwa Sojimu
reported to the EFCC. From our interaction with him, we discovered that the
money he lodged into the account was given to him by his superior in the bank,
and that superior is Mr. Bayo Abdulraheem Dauda. Dauda is the Relationship Manager
of the account referred to.
“Upon our interaction with Mr. Daudaý, it was
discovered that the cash sums were handed to him for lodgement by the
defendant, according to him, used to be called to the Kwara State Government
House at Ilorin to collect those cash sums. The cash given to him were normally lodged at
GTB located at GRA in Ilorin. From the lodgements, we discovered that one Ubi,
who we don’t have his second name, on a single day, made five separate
lodgements of N77m.
“We also discovered another name, Abdul Adama,
who on a single day made lodgements 50 times on the same account. The sum was
broken down between N600, 000 to N900, 000. Shortly after the lodgements
by Adama, the same Ubi made lodgements on the same day 20 times in the same range
of N600, 000 to N900, 000.
“We looked for Adama and invited him. He also
reported and stated that the cash sums were handed over to him by the defendant
and stated further that the sum that was lodged into the same account by Ubi
was from him. Both Adama and Ubi were personal assistants to
the defendant while he was governor. Adama was personal assistant to the
defendant on domestic matters.
“After these individuals made the lodgments, the
pattern of the cash movement changed. The range of the figure (N600, 000 to
N900, 000) was still the same, but what changed was that this time several
individuals were making the lodgments in large numbers on the same day.
“Further investigations revealed that those
individuals were fictitious. The investigation team took up the matter with the
bank and they said that they had done the needful by drawing a report and
forwarding same to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and they
furnished evidence to that effect.
“We submitted our investigative report and findings.
Based on that, the then Executive Chairman of the EFCC said since there were
other teams investigating petitions against the defendant, he therefore
directed that we harmonize the investigation. Analysis of the forms; some infractions were
observed on some of the forms.
“We discovered that property known as 15
Mcdonald, Ikoyi, Lagos, which was purshased through a company, Hitel Limited,
was not declared in the forms. We also discovered that 17A and 17B of Mcdonald,
Ikoyi, Lagos was bought for aggregate sum of N497.2m in 2006.
“Saraki acquired landed assets at 17, 17A and 17B
Mcdonald, Ikoyi, Lagos between 2006 and 2007 for an aggregate sum of
N497,200,000, and also failed to declare the property at No. 1, Targus Street,
Maitama, Abuja, otherwise known as 2482, Cadastral Zone A06, Abuja in September
16, 2003”, Wetkas stated.
No comments:
Post a Comment