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Tag: Ex-NIMASA

  • Appeal Court reverses ex-NIMASA D-G’s conviction for contract splitting

    Appeal Court reverses ex-NIMASA D-G’s conviction for contract splitting

    The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, yesterday reversed the five-year conviction given to ex-Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Temisan Raymond Omatseye for alleged contract splitting.

    The appellate court discharged and acquitted Omatseye of the 24 counts upon which he was convicted.

    It set aside the May 20, 2016, judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

    Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia had found Omatseye culpable in a N1.5 billion contract scam following his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    She ruled that he awarded contracts above the stipulated N2.5million threshold and, accordingly, convicted him in 24 of 27 counts. The judge discharged and acquitted Omatseye of three others.

    But the appellate court held yesterday, among others, that the court did not properly evaluate the evidence.

    The court, presided over by Justice Yargata Nimpar, resolved all five grounds of appeal in the appellant’s favour.

    Other members of the three-man panel were Justice Adejumo Obaseki and Justice Abraham Georgewill.

    In reaching its decision, the court considered four issues, including whether under Section 16(1)(A) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, approval for spending over the threshold constituted an offence.

    Justice Yargata Nimpar, who read the judgment, considered whether the court properly evaluated the evidence.

    She said: “I found that it did not.”

    “The long and short of it is that, the appeal succeeds. The prosecution should not ride roughshod over the Constitution.

    “The judiciary will do the war on corruption more harm by declaring someone a criminal, where no offence has been committed.

    “I find merit in the appeal. The conviction is hereby set aside and the appellant is hereby discharged and acquitted.”

    The appellant’s kinsmen, who were in court, burst out in jubilation after the judgment.

    The former NIMASA boss, in the appeal by his lawyer, Edoka Onyeke, argued, among others, that he was persecuted and not prosecuted.

    He said although contract splitting existed in law, approval above threshold did not.

    Omatseye accused Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia of jettisoning an exonerating January 23, 2013, letter from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which it admitted as evidence in court.

    According to him, the letter stated that the 27-count brought under sections of the Procurement Act deals with administrative breaches rather than real offences.

    Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia’s judgment had been touted as the first major high profile conviction since President Muhammadu Buhari began his anti-corruption crusade.

  • Appeal Court reverses ex-NIMASA D-G’s conviction for contract splitting

    Appeal Court reverses ex-NIMASA D-G’s conviction for contract splitting

    The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, yesterday reversed the five-year conviction given to ex-Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Temisan Raymond Omatseye for alleged contract splitting.

    The appellate court discharged and acquitted Omatseye of the 24 counts upon which he was convicted.

    It set aside the May 20, 2016, judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

    Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia had found Omatseye culpable in a N1.5 billion contract scam following his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    She ruled that he awarded contracts above the stipulated N2.5million threshold and, accordingly, convicted him in 24 of 27 counts. The judge discharged and acquitted Omatseye of three others.

    But the appellate court held yesterday, among others, that the court did not properly evaluate the evidence.

    The court, presided over by Justice Yargata Nimpar, resolved all five grounds of appeal in the appellant’s favour.

    Other members of the three-man panel were Justice Adejumo Obaseki and Justice Abraham Georgewill.

    In reaching its decision, the court considered four issues, including whether under Section 16(1)(A) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, approval for spending over the threshold constituted an offence.

    Justice Yargata Nimpar, who read the judgment, considered whether the court properly evaluated the evidence.

    She said: “I found that it did not.”

    “The long and short of it is that, the appeal succeeds. The prosecution should not ride roughshod over the Constitution.

    “The judiciary will do the war on corruption more harm by declaring someone a criminal, where no offence has been committed.

    “I find merit in the appeal. The conviction is hereby set aside and the appellant is hereby discharged and acquitted.”

    The appellant’s kinsmen, who were in court, burst out in jubilation after the judgment.

    The former NIMASA boss, in the appeal by his lawyer, Edoka Onyeke, argued, among others, that he was persecuted and not prosecuted.

    He said although contract splitting existed in law, approval above threshold did not.

    Omatseye accused Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia of jettisoning an exonerating January 23, 2013, letter from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which it admitted as evidence in court.

    According to him, the letter stated that the 27-count brought under sections of the Procurement Act deals with administrative breaches rather than real offences.

    Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia’s judgment had been touted as the first major high profile conviction since President Muhammadu Buhari began his anti-corruption crusade.

  • Is Ofili-Ajumogobia on trial for jailing ex-NIMASA DG?

    These are indeed strange times. These are times when the rule of the thumb has become the normal. And nothing we know is as it should be. For the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), you cannot be sure what is right and what is not as they are determined by variables outside the reasoning of the law and common sense.

    In the fight against corruption embarked on by President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, it is difficult to understand the motive or even why the administration would choose not to maintain a standard understandable rule in the so-called fight. From targeting perceived enemies or opponents, the government has since moved to judges, organising sting operations and putting some people almost perpetually under lock and key.

    But I am still at a loss as to why the anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has put the duo of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and Godwin Obla (SAN) on trial. It really beats my imagination that the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, a lawyer could give his nod for such a charade to go on.

    Of course, the EFCC has filed a 30 count charge against the Federal High Court Judge and Godwin Obla, who until recently, a Counsel of the anti-graft agency. At the heart of the charge is the allegation that Obla offered Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia the sum of N5 million to pervert the course of justice in FHC/1/C/482C/10. Interestingly, the EFCC has included such other charges as corrupt enrichment, money laundering and conspiracy to fit into a regular pattern of all other cases before the courts so as to give the media and the general public enough to chew while the high drama lasts.

    However, it should be a cause of concern for all lovers of democracy as well as those who voted for the President to pause awhile and ponder why the government decided to prosecute Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia and Obla ostensibly for alleged bribery. Could the government truly be sure that it is doing this as part of its anti-corruption agenda?

    While the government wants us to believe that the trial is as been presented at the Federal High Court where the two suspects have been charged, I make bold to say that deductions from the courtroom point to a different direction.  Perhaps, some elucidation may be necessary. If indeed Obla bribed Ofili-Ajumogobia, it means the former had a case before the latter, the outcome of which was manipulated through the bribe to perpetrate injustice. Anything short of this is incongruous and does not stand to reason.

    It beats the imagination that the said senior advocate could be said to have offered bribe, ostensibly on behalf of the EFCC to have Omatseye jailed. Why would he have done that? Was it the EFCC that provided the said N5million? Why must monetary inducement come in before conviction could be secured? So many questions begging for answers.

    More importantly, if indeed Obla bribed Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia to have the ex-NIMASA DG jailed in case no FHC/1/C/482C/10, should the EFCC not be contented that a conviction, no matter how it was obtained, was the outcome of the case? Magu ought to be excited that despite alleged frustrations in the judicial process; at least his agency was able to get this case through. And in the same manner, Obla and Justice Ofili-Ajugomobia ought to be toasts of the anti-graft agency.

    Rather than get commendation for diligent prosecution, the EFCC decided to put the duo in the dock for alleged corruption, an action which undoubtedly deserves close scrutiny. Nigerians need to know why the tables suddenly turned against them.

    Already, there are suggestions that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia has been put up for the guillotine mainly because of her blunt refusal to play ball in some high cases before her court. She is also said to have courted the wrath of the powers that be in Abuja when she let go a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.  If this was not the case, I do not see what other motives government can proffer as explanation for its present cause of action. In any case, why would the EFCC present separate facts to the media during so called investigation from what it has taken to the court?

    Notwithstanding that the government would want us to believe otherwise, it has become obvious that the travail of Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia is not isolated. That it follows after an established pattern that has seen other judges and justices being put on trial for alleged corruption.

    Two Supreme Court judges namely Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro are today under investigation or being tried for corruption. Others are the suspended Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, who was picked up in Sokoto; Justice Adeniyi Ademola (Federal High Court); the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike;  Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court;  Justice Muazu Pindiga (Gombe State High Court);  Justice Bashir Sukola and  Justice Ladan Manir from the Kaduna State High Court.

    Plausible as the trial of the judges may seem, it is more than a coincidence that almost all of them had at various times in the past dished out judgements against the APC. Those who did not fall into this category had earlier been indicted by the National Judicial Commission (NJC) and recommended for prosecution, making the action of government a somewhat overkill.

    Sadly, the Buhari’s government has often gone after straws and haystacks in the fight against corruption. Media trial and self-help, including the use of brute force and outright intimidation have become indices and standard gauge for measuring all it has done so far. You don’t have to look far to see this negative imprints in the activities of the EFCC, department of State Security Services (SSS), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), etc.

    Yet, the administration seem unperturbed by the myriad of criticisms against the style adopted so far in the fight against corruption, daily losing credibility and the support of millions who voted for it in 2015. Neither is it bothered that even the international community has taken note of its approach and tokenism in a critical sector where transparency and absence of bias should be the abiding mantra.

    If only President Buhari and the anti-corruption agencies are aware of the consequences of their actions.

     

    • Garba, a Public Affairs analyst writes from Gusau.
  • Ex-NIMASA chief withdraws plea bargain proposal

    Ex-NIMASA chief withdraws plea bargain proposal

    A former Acting Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Haruna Jauro, has withdrawn his proposal to enter a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
    The commission arraigned him at the Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged N304.1million fraud.
    Jauro’s lead counsel Babajide Koku (SAN) had told the court on October 23 that his client would explore plea bargain with the prosecution.
    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola urged the parties to reach an agreement without delay.
    But yesterday, another defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo, informed the court that the plea bargain talks had broken down and that Jauro was ready to proceed with the trial.
    It was learnt from a reliable source that Jauro changed his mind about the plea bargain proposal.
    When EFCC’s lawyer Nkereuwem Anana attempted to lead the agency’s operative, Orji Chukwuma, in evidence, Ojo objected.
    He said the prosecution did not serve his client with the witness statement as required by the law prior to commencement of trial.
    Anana admitted that the Chukwuma’s statement was not served on the defence, saying it was due to an “oversight”.
    “It may have been due to the oversight of the person, who filed the processes. We’ll ask for a short adjournment to put our house in order,” he said.
    Justice Mojisola-Olatoregun held that the charge substantially complied with law since it contained the basic information regarding the allegations, including name of the defendant, date of offence and place and particulars of laws violated.
    She added: “However, in view of the fact that the statement of all other witnesses were given to the defence, except the one of this witness, which the prosecution counsel described as an oversight, I don’t have much to say other than to say that the statement be made available to them (defence) even in the face of my view that there was substantial compliance within the constitutional requirements of what should be given to the defence. In the circumstance, this matter will be adjourned.”
    Jauro is among four former NIMASA chiefs charged with corruption-related offences. The others are Patrick Akpobolokemi, Calistus Obi and Temisan Omatseye, who was convicted.
    Obi, ex-NIMASA’s Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Service, took over from Akpobolokemi, who is facing five separate fraud charges.
    Obi was relieved of his duties less than a week later and replaced by Jauro, who was Executive Director, Finance and Administration.
    Jauro was charged with Dr. Dauda Bawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Limited on 19 counts of converting N304.1 million belonging to NIMASA.
    EFCC said they conspired on January 6, 2014, to convert N156, 477,500 belonging to NIMASA, knowing the money was stolen.
    They also allegedly converted N38,170,000 between June 3 and September 1, 2014, “knowing that the sums were proceeds of stealing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3).”
    EFCC said on May 30 and August 14, 2014, they converted N8, 500,000, property of NIMASA. The prosecution said they did so “knowing that the sums were proceeds of bribery”.
    The defendants had pleaded not guilty to all counts when they were arraigned, with EFCC opening its case.
    Justice Mojisola-Olatoregun adjourned until January for trial.

  • ‘Ex-NIMASA DG built hotel with agency’s funds’

    ‘Ex-NIMASA DG built hotel with agency’s funds’

    A former acting Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Calistus Obi, allegedly built a hotel in Asaba, the Delta State capital, using the agency’s funds, the Federal High Court in Lagos heard yesterday.

    He and three companies – Dismass Alu Adoon, Grand Pact Limited and Global Sea Investment Limited were arraigned on eight counts of converting N378,810,000 from NIMASA.

    Obi, a former NIMASA Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Service, took over from Patrick Akpobolokemi, who is facing six separate fraud and theft charges.

    An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigator Orji Chukwuma said the defendant used NIMASA’s funds to build a hotel.

    He said the money was taken from an account opened for NIMASA’s Technical Ratification Committee on Maritime Labour Congress.

    Chukwuma said N10million was paid to Seastroke International Ltd which was developing the hotel for Obi.

    He said Obi also gave N1million to St Mary’s Catholic Church,  Okija in Anambra State, but the purpose was not disclosed.

    According to the Witness, Obi personally received N200,000 from the account on February 12, 2014.

    The EFCC investigator said a company, Knight and Sheriff, was paid N10million. He said the company’s account was operated by Obi’s special adviser.

    Chukwuma said the two companies NIMASA’s funds were paid to never had any business dealing with the agency.

    The witness said Obi made several payments to different individuals, including to his wife, using NIMASA’s funds.

    Obi had pleaded not guilty to the charge at his arraignment.

     

  • Alleged N2.6b theft: Ex-NIMASA chiefs get new trial date

    Alleged N2.6b theft: Ex-NIMASA chiefs get new trial date

    Justice Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos has adjourned the trial of a former Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Patrick Akpobolokemi till April 18.

    All defendants were in court, but the judge said he could not accommodate the trial, which usually lasts for hours.

    Justice Buba said he had many cases to deal with, including ruling and judgments, before the court’s week-long Easter vacation next Monday.

    At the last hearing on March 10, the court heard that a former NIMASA Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development, Captain Ezekiel Agaba allegedly bought a property in Lekki worth N70 million using the agency’s funds.

    A prosecution witness, Eboigbe Etiosa, said he helped Agaba buy “a piece of land” in 2014 at Northern Foreshore, Lekki, from David Anazod.

    The witness, an estate surveyor and valuer, said he was paid twice for the land.

    “It cost N70 million. My Zenith Bank account domicilled with Eric Moore Branch, Surulere, was credited twice,” he said.

    Akpobolokemi was charged with Agaba, his aides Ekene Nwakuche and Governor Juan as well as Blockz and Stonz Limited, Kenzo Logistics Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistic Limited.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged them with converting N2,658,957,666 between December 23, 2013, and  last May 28, to which they pleaded not guilty.

  • Ex-NIMASA chief bought N70m land with agency’s funds, says witness

    An ex-Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development at the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Ezekiel Agaba, allegedly bought a property in Lekki for N70 million with agency funds.

    Prosecution witness Eboigbe Etiosa yesterday said he assisted Agaba to buy “a piece of land” in 2014 at Northern Foreshore, Lekki, from David Anazod.

    The witness, an estate surveyor and valuer, said he was paid twice for the land.

    “It cost N70 million. My Zenith Bank account domicilled with Eric Moore Branch, Surulere, was credited twice,” he said.

    Etiosa said he first received N40 million on January 15, 2014, from Agaba,  through a company, named Ace Prothesis Nigeria Limited and got the balance of N30 million from Aker Integrated Services on January 20, 2014.

    The witness said he did not know the companies through which the money was routed.

    “After negotiation, I forwarded my account to Agaba and my account was credited. And it was this money that I used for the property,” he said.

    Etiosa was testifying in the trial of an ex-NIMASA Director-General, Patrick Akpobolokemi, before Justice Ibrahim Buba, of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    Akpobolokemi was charged with Agaba, his aides – Ekene Nwakuche and Governor Juan – as well as Blockz and Stonz Limited, Kenzo Logistics Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistic Limited.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged them with converting N2,658,957,666 between December 23, 2013, and last May 28, to which they pleaded not guilty.

    A lawyer and businessman, Uche Obilor, testified that he owned Ace Prothesis Nigeria Limited.

    He said three of his companies got N905.8 million from NIMASA without bidding for any contract.

    He said his companies got the following: Seabulk Offshore N437 million; Southern Offshore N402 million and Ace Prothesis N66.8 million.

    Also testifying yesterday, a branch manager of Zenith Bank, Bar Beach Branch, Victoria Island, Mrs. Rita Ifeadi, explained how payment was made to NIMASA’s workers although they were not signatories to the accounts.

    She earlier testified that some bank accounts opened for NIMASA were operated by the agency’s workers, who were not signatories to them.

    Mrs. Ifeadi said an account for Aruward Consulting Services, opened in the names of Philip Enuesike and Ima Udo, were operated by Nwakuche and Juan.

    Under cross examination, she said an account could be operated by another person besides the person, whose name is on the mandate card.

    In such circumstances, she would counter-sign the cheques before the beneficiary were paid.

    She said: “There is an exception. In KYC (Know Your Customer), if you know the people coming to pick up the money, you can confirm it. For some of those accounts, I knew who was coming to pick up the money; so I counter-signed the counter-cheques. Once I counter-signed, the teller could go ahead and pay.”

    She said Juan, who she said operated the account, was not a signatory to it, adding that since she “marketed” NIMASA for the accounts, she knew who was coming to withdraw from them.

    Mrs. Ifeadi said the exception was made because the account opening forms for NIMASA’s accounts were incomplete.

    “It’s a failing on the bank’s part not to regularise the forms. Such errors do occur. And it was not flagged by the Compliance Department,” she said.

    Justice Buba adjourned till March 23.

  • Alleged N3.4b theft: Prosecution opens case in ex-NIMASA D-G’s trial

    Alleged N3.4b theft: Prosecution opens case in ex-NIMASA D-G’s trial

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday called its first witness in the trial of a former Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi.

    He was arraigned with nine others, including two companies, before Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    The charge is different from the one before Justice Ibrahim Buba, in which five witnesses have testified for the EFCC.

    In the case before Justice Saidu, Akpobolokemi and others were accused of conspiring to convert N3.4 billion belonging to NIMASA, which the commission said “was derived from stealing”.

    The others are Captain Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Felix Bob-Nabena, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, Governor Juan, Ugo Fredrick, Timi Alari and two companies – Al-Kenzo Limited and Peniel Engineering Services Limited.

    The first prosecution witness, a Compliance Officer at Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Teslim Adekunle, said he was responsible for enquiries from regulatory agencies, such as EFCC.

    Led in evidence by EFCC’s lawyer Festus Keyamo, the witness said Zenith, between last August and December, received several enquiries from EFCC.

    He said the bank was asked to produce statements of account as well as account opening packages of three companies, namely: Interwind Limited, Margai Integrated Limited and Grandpact Limited. The documents were tendered in evidence.

    An argument between the prosecution and defence counsel ensued when Keyamo sought to tender a document on Thlumba Enterprise Limited.

    Akpobolokemi’s lawyer Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN) objected on the basis that the document was a photocopy.

    Keyamo applied to withdraw the document, but the defence counsel urged the judge to admit the document and mark it as “rejected”.

    If marked as rejected, tendering of the original document may be foreclosed.

    The EFCC witness earlier informed the court that the original copy was in the bank’s archive.

    Justice Saidu adjourned for ruling and continuation of trial today.

  • Prosecutor’s absence stalls ex-NIMASA D-G’s trial

    THE Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday adjourned the trial of suspended Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Temisan Omatseye to October 21.

    The trial was stalled due to the absence of prosecution counsel Mr Godwin Obla (SAN), who was to continue his cross-examination of Omatseye.

    Obla had written Omatseye’s lawyer Olusina Sofola (SAN) stating that his wife was seriously sick in the United States of America (USA).

    The prosecutor, who started the cross-examination on June 1, had sought an adjournment to yesterday to enable him produce a NIMASA procedural manual, which would clarify whether the agency’s director-general has the power to sign or endorse every contract document brought to his table.

    Omatseye had alleged that he was being “persecuted” because he refused to do the bidding of the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

    He said: “In December 2010, I was approached by a gentleman, who at that time was the Executive Director of the Cabotage Service of NIMASA, in the name of Ibrahim Zailani.

  • Ex-NIMASA boss didn’t benefit from contracts, says witness

    Ex-NIMASA boss didn’t benefit from contracts, says witness

    Aprincipal prosecution witness in the trial of former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Raymond Omatseye, has said the accused did not financially benefit from contracts awarded during his days is office.

    The witness, Ibrahim Ahmed, an investigating police officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told a Federal High Court in Lagos that investigation did not reveal that Omatseye financially benefited from the contracts.

    Ahmed, who was cross examined last Friday by defence lawyer,Olusina Sofola (SAN), said the contracts were approved by the agency’s board.

    He referred to a memo indicating that the chairman of NIMASA’s board, Senator Baba Tella directed that quotations for the contracts be submitted for approval.

    When asked whether his investigation could not establish that there was a submission of quotations for the contracts, Ahmed said on page 17b of the memo (tendered before the court), the chairman NIMASA board told the ex DG to bring up quotations to board for final approval.

    Ahmed, who told the court in an earlier testimony that contracts were split by NIMASA to avoid exceeding the DG’s approval threshold, said he did not investigate the companies that benefited from the contracts and others that bidded.

    On claim that there was manipulation in the contract award process, Ahmed said he could not establish that because he could not reach the companies.

    Asked if, in the course of his investigation, he discovered that

    the companies met to agree on the bid they were to submit,

    Ahmed answered in the negative.

    He said the companies’ quotations were not shown to him and that there was no other memo that stated the quotations were submitted.

    On whether his investigation was able to establish that

    the accused person had an agreement with the companies in submitting their quotation, Ahmed answered in the negative. Sofola asked him if he thought the accused person benefitted financially the bid for the Blackbery phones supply contract, the witness said investigation did not establish so.

    Omatseye is being tried on a charge of 27 counts, containing allegations of contract splitting, bid rigging and allegedly awarding contracts exceeding the threshold allowed a D.G. by the Public Procurement Act, while he was in office.

    Ahmed had on Wednesday told the court that an award letter from NIMASA to a firm, Kolal Riska International Nigeria Limited, for the supply of office accessories at a contract sum of N4,930,000, was clearly above the stipulated threshold of less than N2.5million allowed a DG under the Act.

    The award letter, Ahmed stated , was signed on behalf of Omatseye by one M. K. Shehu who was the Director of Procurement at the time.

    Led in evidence by prosecution lawyer, Godwin Obla, Ahmed identified signatures on some internal memos and other contract documents presented before the court and which were tagged exhibits 17 and 18, as belonging to Omatseye.

    Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia has fixed May 30 for continuation of trial.