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Tag: Stephen Oronsaye

  • ‘Maina opened 3 accounts where ”unspecified amounts” were lodged in Fidelity Bank Plc’

    Two witnesses in the trial of  Stephen Oronsaye, former Head of Service of the Federation, alleged that a brother of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team(PRTT), opened three accounts where ”unspecified amounts” were lodged in Fidelity Bank Plc.

    Oronsaye is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for offences bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.

    He is alleged to have been complicit in several contract awards during his tenure as HoS, and is being charged along with Osarenkhoe Afe on an amended 49-count charge.

    Testifyingwhile being led in evidence by EFCC counsel, led by Oluwaleke Atolagbe before Justice Inyang Ekwo, of the Federal High Court, the witnesses, both staff members of Fidelity, alleged that Khalid Biu, opened three private accounts using different names.

    Mr Danjuma Zubairu, a senior manager with the bank, said Biu opened three private accounts with names:  Cluster Logistics, Abdullahi Faizal, and Nafisatu Aliyu for Maina in 2011.

    Zubairu alleged that aside the three; Maina also operated two other accounts with names: Kongolo and Drew Investment.

    The accounts , he said, where the ones the EFCC investigated.

    ”My Lord, before leaving the bank in 2013, Biu was the one who managed the three accounts, namely Cluster Logistics, Abdullahi Faizal, and Nafisatu Aliyu.

    ”Biu was also in charge of giving approval for all withdrawals.

    ”I met Maina one time he came to the bank to access his safe deposit box.

    ”The first box was size 489 before he requested for a bigger size and was later upgraded to size 604.” he said.

    At this point, Atolagbe tendered Fidelity bank’s statement of accounts in respect to these accounts in court which was admitted into evidence as Pw7 (a).

    Also testifying, Mr Oluwatoyin Meseke, a Marketer and Assistant Banking Executive with Fidelity bank, told the court that Biu opened the three accounts for Maina in 2011.

    ”My lord, Biu told me that the accounts belonged to Maina.

    “He made me understand that Maina was the owner of the three accounts,’’ the witness alleged.

    Meseke told the court that there were many financial transactions on the account.

    ”I also managed the accounts at a time that Biu left the bank. Maina was the sole signatory to the accounts.

    ”Maina usually orders for cash to be delivered to him and the cheques would come in later,” Meseke alleged.

    During examination in chief, he had said that Maina had once requested that he should withdraw N6.5 million in cash and take to Oronsaye at his house.

    But after being shown some cheques in court during cross-examination by Oronsaye’s counsel, Mr Okeanya-Ineh, SAN, and asked to identify the cheque for N6.5million.

    The witness said that as at Jan.23, 2013, the opening balance in one of the accounts was N201 million.

    After the testimonies, Justice Ekwo adjourned hearing until June 24, for continuation of hearing. (NAN)

  • How Oronsaye, Maina diverted pension funds, by EFCC

    How Oronsaye, Maina diverted pension funds, by EFCC

    A Federal High Court in Abuja heard Tuesday how huge sums belonging to pensioners were allegedly diverted by former Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF), Stephen Oronsaye and former Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed  Maina through phoney contracts.

    An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rouqayya Ibrahim said pension funds were allegedly diverted by the duo through various companies.

    Rouqayya spoke Tuesday while testifying as a prosecution witness in the trial of Orosaye, the Managing Director of Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, Osarenkhoe Afe and the company on a 24-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.

    They are alleged to have been involved in several contract awards during Oronsaye’s tenure as HOS.

    The prosecution alleged the fraud, involving about N2 billion, was allegedly perpetrated using firms like Cluster Logistic Limited, Kongolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, Drew Investment and Construction Company Limited, and Xangee Technologies Limited.

    Led in evidence by lead prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Rouqayya said in the course of investigations, the EFCC requested for payment mandate from the office of the Head of Service (HOS).

    She said: “We analysed the mandate, obtained necessary information like bank account numbers, and then requested for the account statements from the banks,” she said.

    She stated that the analysis revealed a company, Xangee Technologies Limited, which she noted, was already being tried before Justice Abubakar Talba of the High Court of thr Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gudu, for alleged pension fraud.

    The witness said: “We discovered that the company received payment of more than N183 million for biometric enrolment, but there was no biometric contract executed by the company, instead the money was withdrawn cash, converted to US dollars and handed over to Abdulrasheed Maina, through his brother, Khalid Biu,”

    She added that three other companies – Mofshad Ventures, Mofshad Limited and Kombosko Nigeria Limited, received more than N400 million for non-existent contracts.

    The witness said: “We discovered that the three companies were associated with one Emmanuel Olanipekun, who is also currently standing trial, and one Chidi, also standing trial, and the monies were withdrawn in cash with part of it given to Mr. Oronsaye.”

    She said investigation of the pension account in Union Bank showed that there was a letter, instructing that the money be transferred to another pension account.

    “We saw another letter on it, on which there was a minute and instruction from Mr. Oronsaye, to transfer about N113 million to a Unity Bank account belonging to the State House, which we discovered he was the sole-signatory.

    “As at the time the transfer was made in 2010, Mr. Oronsaye had ceased to be the Principal Secretary in the State House and had become the Head of Service. We discovered that the monies were withdrawn through cheques, but all efforts to get the person to whom they were issued to, was unsuccessful, and Mr. Oronsaye could not explain the reason for the disbursement,” the witness said.

    Rouqayya further investigation of such suspicious transfers led investigators to discover six accounts in Fidelity Bank in the name of Faizal Abdullahi, Mafisa Abdullahi, Kongolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, Drew Investment and Construction Company Limited, and Cluster Logistic Limited.

    She said: “There was also another account in the name of Abdulrasheed Maina, and his brother, Biu, a staff of the bank, who opened the accounts and was the accounts officer.” She added that  after Biu resigned from the bank, Toyin Meseke, a staff of the bank took over as the account officer.

    The witness said: “We invited him for an interview and discovered that all the accounts were operated by Abdulrasheed Maina, even though his name, picture and signature were not anywhere in the opening account packages.”

    She said Maina operated the account mainly through text messages and emails, as “instructions regarding payment or withdrawal were sent to Meseke by text or email”.

    Rouqayya said forensic analysis of Meseke’s phone was carried out, which revealed how funds were fraudulently diverted from the account. She added: “The account officer will, after receiving instruction from Maina, convert the money to US dollars and deliver same to him in Dubai.”

    According to her, Maina, a former Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms remained at large.  She said Maina never showed up in the course of investigations, and deserted his known residence.

    The witness, who said investigations showed that Maina paid cash of $2 million to buy a house in Jabi, told the court that apart from the Interpol notice issued for Maina’s arrest, “we are still doing all we can, but yet to get hold of him.”

    Earlier, Jacobs tendered three statements made to EFCC’s investigators by Oronsaye, during the course of investigations. The statements were identified by Ibrahim and were admitted in evidence by the court when defence lawyers, Joe Agi (for Oronsaye) and Oluwole Aladedoye (for Afe and his company) failed to object.

    In reaction to complaint by Aladedoye that the EFCC was sponsoring media publications meant to prejudice the trial, the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole warned the EFCC to desist from such practice.

    The judge said he read some of the publications handed to the court by Aladedoye and found that the information were ascribed to the EFCC. He said that was the second time such incident would happen in the cases being prosecuted in his court by the EFCC.

    The judge warned that should such occur the third time, he would not hesitate to hands off the case and return the file to the court’s Chief judge to allow the EFCC try its cases and secure conviction through the media.

    Justice Kolawole said it was wrong for the EFCC to release documents, in relation to a case pending in court, to the media, even when such documents were yet to be tendered in court.

    He said he was not against the media covering court’s proceedings, but was not comfortable where publications are made to prejudice pending proceedings.

    Justice Kolawole adjourned to December 5, 2017 for continuation of the judicial trial.

     

  • Oronsaye: Court dismisses claim of obtaining statement under duress

    Oronsaye: Court dismisses claim of obtaining statement under duress

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, has admitted as evidence the statements made by the second defendant, Osarenkhoe Afe, in the ongoing trial of former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawale, admitted the statements at the conclusion of proceedings of a trial-within-trial, which he ordered.

    The trial-within-trial was ordered to ascertain the veracity of the claims by Afe that the statements he made to the EFCC were obtained under duress.

    Kolawale in his ruling said that more justice would be done by admitting the statements in evidence, adding that they were duly made and not involuntarily made under duress.

    “Based on my assessment of the events of Feb. 24 2011 and March 2011, the second defendant was in a good frame of mind when he wrote the two statements.”

    Kolawale wondered why Afe took no action against the EFCC when he was refused legal representation by its officials as he claimed.

    “I would have thought that he would request to see a senior officer, as a situation like this would have created a chain of facts.

    “Again when he was released on bail, he would have instructed his counsel to write a letter of protest to the Chairman of the EFCC that extra judicial statements were obtained from him by arm twisting tactics of his officers.”

    Kolawale, however, held that in the course of the trial, if additional facts emerged to prove that the statements were obtained under duress, the court had jurisdiction to expunge the statements from its records.

    He adjourned the matter until Oct. 12 for continuation of the substantive matter.

    Kolawale had ordered a trial-within-trial to ascertain the veracity of the claim by Afe that his statements were obtained by the EFCC under duress.

    When counsel adopted their addresses, Mr Oluwole Aladedoye, counsel to Afe, told the court that his client was abducted by EFCC officials.

    “I submit that the evidence before the court shows that there was no form of invitation to the second defendant by the EFCC, he was certainly abducted, no matter the nomenclature they choose to use.

    “No warrant of arrest was presented to the court and even the search warrant alluded to by the first prosecution witness was never presented to the court,” he said.

    Aladedoye also held that his client was denied his right to produce a legal representative of his choice, adding that there could be no greater form of oppression than this.

    He insisted that the statements made by his client to the EFCC were obtained under duress and prayed the court to discredit the statements since they were inadmissible.

    Counsel to the EFCC, Mr O.A. Atolagbe on his part, told the court that the two statements made by Afe had passed the admissibility test and prayed the court to admit them as evidence.

    On the allegation that Afe was abducted by the EFCC, Atolagbe held that the defendant testified that EFCC operatives came to his house and told him they were inviting him to their office.

    He added that the record of the court showed that the defendant said that he took his time to get dressed before following the EFCC officials.

    According to the counsel, the prosecution has established beyond reasonable doubt that the statements were made voluntarily and should be admitted in evidence.

    In another ruling, Kolawale granted an application by Oransaye for the release of his international passport to enable him travel abroad.

    He ordered that the passport should be released only after one of Oronsaye’s counsel, Mr Bart Ogar, file a personal undertaking that the defendant would return to face his trial.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Oronsaye is standing trial for money laundering, fraud and breach of trust.

    He is being tried with Afe and four companies – Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, Cluster Logistic Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, and Drew Investment and Construction Company Limited.

  • Oronsaye: Defendant signed statement – Witness

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday adjourned till March 29, trial-within-trial in the fraud case filed against a former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye.

    At the resumed hearing, a prosecution witness, Mr. Mustapha Gadanya told the court during cross examination that the second defendant, Mr. Osarenkhoe Afe, willingly wrote and signed the statement he made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    “Before his statement on March 16, 2011, I interviewed him about the amount received by his company and what he did with it,” the prosecution witness said.

    “After I interviewed him, I asked if he was willing to reduce it in writing and he said yes. He wrote his statement himself and signed it.”

    Gadanya, who was cross-examined by Afe’s counsel, Mr. Oluwale Aladedoye, told the court that although suspects invited to the commission had to deposit their phones at the gate, it was not always the case.

    The witness also told the court that there is a register where suspects invited to the commission were required to sign on each visit, adding that it was however, a flexible arrangement.

    Earlier, while Gadanya was being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe, he told the court that he worked for the commission from July 2005 to September 2014.

    The witness, who said that while at the commission, he was the second in command at the pension fraud unit, added that he currently works with a bank.

    Justice Gabriel Kolawale, adjourned the matter till March 29 for the defence to call its witness.

    NAN

  • Oronsaye: AGF didn’t approve opening of account – Witness

    Oronsaye: AGF didn’t approve opening of account – Witness

    An FCT High Court on Monday heard that the Accountant General of the Federal (AGF) did not approve the Access Bank Account opened by a former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye.

    Mr. Hamma-Adama Bello, an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), made this known when he testified as the sixth witness in the trial on Monday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    Oronsaye was alleged to have deposited money meant for the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force which he chaired into a fixed bond in Access bank known only to him.

    Bello, who investigated the matter, told the court that no other member was aware of this second account.

    The witness, led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Offem Uket, said the rule was that ministries or agencies could not invest fund without the approval from the office of the AGF.

    He said the committee presented a request of N164 million and it was paid into the committee’s official account with the Zenith Bank by the Presidency.

    He said Oronsaye also presented the same request to Central Bank of Nigeria and was also paid.

  • Oronsaye got N50m from arms funds – Witness

    Oronsaye got N50m from arms funds – Witness

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, was told on Friday that former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, got N50m from ex-National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, from $2.1billion set aside for the procurement of arms by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Hammaadama Bello, said this while testifying as prosecution witness in Oronsaye’s trial for allegedly diverting public funds.

    Bello mounted the witness box shortly after the prosecution re-arraigned 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 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 to personal use.

    In the amended charge, Oronsaye was said to have converted 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.

    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.

    He said Oronsaye made the structured lodgments in order to beat the anti-money laundering law and conceal the origin of the money.

     

  • Nigeria adopts World Bank’s strategy on money laundering, terrorism financing

    Nigeria adopts World Bank’s strategy on money laundering, terrorism financing

    Nigeria has adopted the World Bank’s methodology in fighting money laundering and terrorism financing, Stephen Oronsaye, Chairman, Presidential Committee, Financial Action Task Force, has said.

    Oronsaye, who spoke at the opening of the World Bank’s facilitated National Risk Assessment Workshop, in Abuja yesterday said, ”the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force (FATF) adopted the methodology because it is simple to use.

    The World Bank’s National Money Laundering Risk Assessment Tool is a risk assessment methodology that has been developed to overcome the challenges of money laundering and terrorism financing, by identifying and assessing the real sources of Money Laundering/Terrorism Financing (ML/TF) risks in a jurisdiction with an analytic approach.

    The world bank’s national ML/TF Risk assessment tool is said to be a self-assessment tool, which has eight modules as building blocks.

    The World bank recommends establishment of a working group that consists of sub-groups corresponding to various modules, and undertaking of the national risk assessment in three phases.

    Oransanye said the purpose of the workshop is for Nigeria to get the methodology to know the risks in the different sectors, like, banking, the capital market, insurance and other sectors.

    He said Nigeria is among the first country to adopt the trend since the committee was created in 2012.

    He said: “Once you know the risk,you know the vulnerability you have, and you will be able to have effective methodology to fight against these risks, and therefore the resources which we have which are very limited, are then directed to areas of high risk, so that we can then concentrate on. The ones that are low risks, obviously you will deploy less resources.

    “In this assessment program, there is nothing like the public or private sector of assessment. Rather than dividing the risk into public and private sector, the NRA will take the different sectors and then identify and verify, to know the risk associated with those sectors. Once you copulate your template and you have now identified them, you can then put in place measures that will mitigate these risks.

    Oransanye said from experience, it takes between nine months to over a year to conduct the risk assessment, adding that data collecting will commence with the eight working groups that will be created in the course of the workshop.