A witness, Mr. Abubakar Umar, told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday that he converted N3.111 billion into $15. 8 cash and handed it over to former governor of Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Suswam.
Suswam and his Finance Commissioner, Mr. Omadachi Oklobia, are being prosecuted by the Federal Government over alleged diversion of the proceeds of the sale of shares owned by the state government and Benue Investment and Property Company Limited totalling into N3.111 billion.
Abubakar, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s fourth prosecution witness in Suswam’s ongoing trial, said this while he was being led in examination-in-chief by the prosecution lead counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).
The witness, a Bureau de Change operator, said Suswam authorised the payment of several sums of money into his bank account between the months of August and October in 2014 which were all converted in United States dollars and handed over to him.
Giving vivid details of how the funds were paid into his bank account in five tranches, Abubakar disclosed: “In August 2014, Governor Gabriel Suswam called me to his Maitama home in Abuja, and asked me to give a lady my bank account details.
“Thereafter, the sum of N413 million was paid into my account. On September 12, 2014, two payments were made into my account: N360 and N637 million (N1 billion) respectively.
“On October 13, 2014, N630 million was deposited into my account. Thereafter, N18 million also deposited in the account.
“Then on 17 October, 2014, the sum of N1.68 billion was paid into my account, which I equally converted same into US dollars as requested by Suswam.”
The witness trading under the name Fanfash Resources Ltd, however, gave contradictory accounts of where the converted funds were handed over to Suswam.
Abubakar while testifying said he delivered the converted monies to the embattled Suswam at his Maitama residence in Abuja, only to turn around and said he gave the money to the former governor at the Benue State Government House in Makurdi.
In a bid to save the trial from being messed up by the witness due to the contradictions, Jacobs applied to the trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, to cut the trial short for him and grant him adjournment to enable him put his house in order.
However, counsel to Suswan, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), opposed the application for an adjournment, adding that in law, what the prosecution ought to do is to treat the witness as a hostile witness.
Also counsel to Omadachi Okolobia, Mr. Audu Anuga, opposed the application on the ground that the prosecution was allegedly planning to get adjournment so as to intimidate, harass and coerce the witness to do the bidding of the prosecution.
The counsel applied for a court order to restrain the EFCC from arresting or intimidating the witness since he has become the property of the court until he is discharged.
The counsel claimed that the reason for the adjournment by the prosecution was in bad faith because it is due to the allegation that people are interfering with the witness.
In his reply, Jacobs told the court that the vehement manner in which lawyers to the accused persons are asking for protection for his own witness confirmed his fears and suspicions that the witness has been compromised.
However in his short ruling, Justice Mohammed adjourned further trial till May 9 and 10 but said that court would not hold the fear of defence lawyers against Jacobs since he has not shown any bad conduct in the trial of the case before and that the court believes that as a senior counsel in the temple of Justice Jacobs will not arm-twist the witness for a negative purpose.
It would be recalled that an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Junaid Sa’id, had testified at the ongoing trial of the duo that Suswam diverted proceeds from the sale of shares owned by the Benue State government and Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.
According to him, Suswam ordered the sale of Benue State-owned shares through Elixir Investment Partners Limited, a stock brokerage firm.
Sa’id, while being cross-examined by Suswam’s counsel, Daudu, told the court that his investigation revealed that an offence had been committed going by the way proceeds realised from the sale of the shares were managed.
“I can confidently say that, there is an offence from where the money is laundered,” Sa’id maintained.
Speaking on particulars of the petition against Suswam, the witness said: “the allegations include: diversion of N6bn of Ecological funds for 8 years for Benue State government; diversion of N1bn from the money realised from the sale of Taraku Vegetable Oil Company limited; diversion of N25bn from local government account, taking loans and bonds from capital market for the purpose of providing infrastructure worth N12bn; being the owner of Metropolitan Hotel which he sold to Benue State government, taking up a property from his brother and paying N60 million monthly to him as rent; selling the International Modern Market without approval from the House of Assembly; and finally, non-execution of most of the capital projects earmarked.”
Jacobs had also presented another witness, Brigid Shiedu, Managing Director, Benue State Investment and property Limited.
Testifying, Sheidu had told the court that her duties among other things include: coordinating the general activities of the agency and implementing decisions taken by the board of directors.
According to her, “I was invited to the Government House by Suswam who was with Oklobia, for discussion on the sale of some of Benue State shares held in trust with Benue State Investment Limited.
“Former Governor Suswam directed the sale of the shares after our meeting and the former commissioner sent two account numbers to me,” Sheidu had stated.
