- •Ex-Finance Commissioner plans no-case submission
The prosecution announced the closure of its case in the trial of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and his erstwhile Finance Commissioner Omadachi Oklobia before a Federal High Court yesterday in Abuja.
The the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused Suswam and Oklobia and filed an 11-count amended charge against them for diverting N3.1 billion belonging to Benue State.
The EFCC claimed that the N3.1 billion formed part of the proceeds of the sale of shares belonging to Benue State and its firm, Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, in some companies.
During yesterday’s proceedings, prosecuting lawyer Oluwaleke Atolagbe announced the closure of the prosecutor’s case at the conclusion of the testimony of his eighth witness, Adewale Agunbiade.
Agunbiade, a Compliance Officer with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), told the court that Suswam operated two accounts with the bank – a naira account and a dollar account.
The witness said over $200,000 was deposited in the dollar account between August 2014 and July 2015.
He said the former governor, on his own, paid $175,000 into the account between February 18 and July 2, 2015 as a cash deposit at the Garki Area 11 branch of the bank.
The prosecution tendered some documents through the witness, a statement of transactions in both accounts from January 2007 to December 31, 2015.
Reading from the statement of account, Agunbiade gave details of other transactions in the dollar account to include that of August 8, 2014, when he said a cash deposit of $10,000 was lodged by Ibrahim, A. at the bank’s Ikoyi branch.
“On August 11, 2014, there was a cash deposit of $10,000 by Aremu at Garki, Area 3 branch; on September 29, 2014, a cash deposit of $10,000 lodged by Ibrahim Sanni Magaji at Wapa, Kano branch.
“On October 29, 2014, a cash deposit of $10,000 paid by self was made at Garki, Area 11 branch in the FCT; on October 30, 2014, a cash deposit by self of $10,000 made at Area 11 Garki branch.
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“On November 3, 2014, a cash deposit of $10,000 by self was paid at Area 11, Garki branch; on February 17, 2015, a cash deposit of $20,000 was made by self at Area 11, Garki branch,” the witness said.
Under cross-examination by lawyer to the former governor, Chinelo Ogbozor, the witness said he became a Compliance Officer at GTB in September 2020.
Agunbiade said there were substantial steady credit inflows into the dollar account from September 14, 2011 to September 16, 2015.
The witness said the credit inflows between 2014 and July 2, 2015 were not unusual.
When asked if the two accounts were currently blocked, he said: “I do not know the status of the accounts as at today, but I believe they were restricted at some point.
“I do not know the circumstances under which the accounts were restricted. I do not know if there is a court order freezing the accounts.”
Also, under cross-examination by lawyer to Oklobia, Paul Erokoro (SAN), Agunbiade said it was the EFCC that wrote his bank, asking for information about the accounts.
On whether or not the transactions in the accounts breached any known regulation, the witness said: “I did not notice any infraction in the transactions in the accounts.”
When asked by the court how she intended to proceed, Ogbozor said she required time to consult with her client on what next step to take.
Erokoro told the court that his client would make a no-case submission, which he said he could file within two weeks.
Ruling, Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned till January 9 for the adoption of the second defendant’s written address on his no-case submission and the possible opening of defence by the first defendant.
