A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja was told yesterday that former House of Service of the Federation (HOSF) got N50m from ex-National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, from $2.1billion set aside for the procurement of arms by the Goodluck Jonathan government.
An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Hammaadama Bello, said this yesterday while testifying as prosecution witness in Oronsaye’s trial for allegedly diverting public funds.
Bello mounted the witness box shortly after the prosecution rearraigned Oronsaye on a seven-count amended charge of criminal breach of trust, to which he pleaded not guilty.
He was first arraigned on March 15, 2016 on a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust, in which he was accused of exploiting his position, as the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force (PCFATF) between 2013 and 2014 to convert the committee’s N190m for personal use.
In the amended charge, Oronsaye was said to have converted a total N382.9m belonging to the committee to his personal use between 2013 and 2015.
Oronsaye was said to have sourced the N382.9m from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in the name of the PCFATF and deposited it in a secret account with Access Bank Plc without the knowledge of other members of the committee.
The prosecution alleged that Oronsaye invested the money, at nine per cent interest, in the secret account, which he allegedly opened and operated unilaterally, as the sole signatory, and without the knowledge of other members of the committee.
The prosecution said the only account legitimately operated by the PCFATF, which was known to all members, with Oronsaye and the then Secretary to the committee, Jalal Arabi as co-signatories, was the one with Zenith Bank Plc. Arabi now serves as the Permanent Secretary, Presidential State House.
Oronsaye’s alleged offences are said to be contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act.
Led in evidence by prosecution lawyer, Offem Uket, Bello said Oronsaye collected N50m from Dasuki in the name of the PCFATF and made five “structured lodgments of N9m each” amounting to N45m into the Access Bank account.
“We first investigated the structured lodgments and our finding was that the money came from the former NSA, Sambo Dasuki, and because I’m part of the Special Task Force that is investigating the arms deal, we have seen it in clear terms that the N50m was part of the arms scam money.
“The money was given to the defendant cash. But in an effort to disguise and conceal the amount that was received, the money was split to N9m, amounting to N45m and was paid into the Access Bank account.
“This was to circumvent the anti-money laundering rule of the bank and against the banking rules.
“The defendant has also admitted to have received this money in cash and lodged same in the Access Bank account.
“Investigation at this point has been proved that the Access Bank account was only known to the defendant and the defendant alone,” he said.
Bello told the court that his agency was moved into investigating Oronsaye by a petition the commission received in 2015. He said they were unable to locate the author of the petition.
He said a five-man investigative team headed by Ngunnan Kakwagh, that investigated the petition, wrote letters to the Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and the CBN.
“While the first account with Access Bank had a sole signatory, the second has two signatories – Mr. Stephen Oronsaye as Chairman of the committee, with his international passport attached and his phone number clearly stated.
“He (Oronsaye) was tagged as Signatory A and Mr. Jalal Arabi was Signatory B and referred to as the Secretary of the committee. Both are to sign, which means A cannot sign without B and B cannot without A.
“On the other hand, Access Bank account had a signatory. Investigations have also revealed that such accounts are not to be run with only single signatory,” Bello said.
Another prosecution witness, an Assistant Manager in the Marketing Department of Zenith Bank Plc, Musa Gulani, said the regular practice was for a government agency or committee to operate accounts with at least two signatories.
Under cross-examination by Oronsaye’s lawyer, Ade Okeaya-Inneh (SAN), Gulani confirmed that there were withdrawals from the account. He said he did not know the purpose for which the withdrawals were made.
Trial judge, Justice Olasumbo Goodluck, has adjourned further hearing in the case to June 13.
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