In continuation of the Dasukigate trial, Hassan Seidu, a
witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the ongoing
trial of Nicholas Ashinze, a former aide to ex-National Security Adviser, Sambo
Dasuki, on Tuesday, told Justice Gabrial Kolawole of the Federal High Court,
Abuja how Ashinze and others got N5.6billion from the Office of the National
Security Adviser.
This was stated in a press release made available to the
media by the Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren on
Wednesday.
Seidu, who testified as the first witness said he was
part of the team that conducted search in Ashinze’s house, located at No. 67 Vision
Court Estate, Apo, Abuja.
Ashinze, a retired colonel, is standing trial alongside
an Austrian, Wolfgang Reinl, Edidiong Idiong and Sagir Mohammed, on a 13-count
charge of corruption and money laundering to the tune of N36.8billion.
Other defendants in the case are five companies – Geonel
Integrated Services Limited, Unity Continental Nigeria Limited, Helpline
Organisation, Vibrant Resource Limited and Sologic Integrated Service Limited.
The PW1 said that on December 23, 2015, Ashinze was
brought to their office for interview and after the interview he was asked if
he would be able to respond to allegations of money laundering leveled against
him.
Seidu said after accepting, Ashinze’s statement was
recorded, but it was his colleague, Mohammed Goje, who administered the
cautionary word to him where he signed and voluntarily wrote his statement.
He further said that a search was conducted at his
(Ashinze) house at Apo where some items were recovered.
The admissibility of the search warrant which Ofem Uket,
counsel to EFCC, sought to tender as evidence was objected to by Ashinze’s counsel,
L. S. Nwoye, who argued that it had no date.
Nwoye cited Section 147 of Administrative of Criminal
Justice Act, ACJA, which stated that a document must have date on it for
identification.
Justice Kolawale, in a bench ruling, held that the issues raised were omissions of details. He overruled the objection and admitted the search warrant in evidence as Exhibit 2.
He also admitted items recovered which are one black
diary, one blue notebook and one page of unsigned document, written in red ink
dated April 17, 2014 in evidence as Exhibits 2a, b and c respectively.
Seidu also said the one page of unsigned document written
in red ink (Exhibit 2c) contained list of 5 companies, their banks and account
numbers of each of the company with amount that has been transferred to them.
He said they got analysis of it and found out that
N3.125billion was transferred to the account of Geonel Integrated Services (5th
defendant) with Heritage Bank from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
“N120million was transferred to Unity Continental Nigeria
Limited (6th defendant) on April 22, 2014, and N150 million in favour of Law
Partners and Associates with Zenith Bank on April 22, 2014.
“N500 million was also transferred from Geonel with
Heritage Bank to Helpline account (7th defendant) on April 24, 2014 and
N100million was transferred from Heritage Bank to GTB account of Vibrant
Resources Ltd (8th defendant) on April 23, 2014.
“On April 23, 2014, Sologic Integrated (9th defendant)
got N120million from Geonel’s account at Heritage Bank, and Law Partners also
received N450million another payment which is not in the document on May 5,
2014.
“The N450 million was transferred from Geonel’s account
domiciled in Heritage and it was the only transaction not captured in the
document,” Seidu said.
He further stated that they found out that the document
(Exhibit 2c) was prepared three days after N3.125billion was given value in the
account of Geonel Integrated Service Limited.
According to the PW1, they also found out that
N2.5billion was transferred from CBN to Geonel’s account on February 16, 2015,
and the contract was awarded from ONSA to Geonel Integrated Services.
He stated that the N3.125 billion was for a purported
contract given to Geonel as mobilisation fee in securing 22 dams in Nigeria and
the N2.5billion was for full and final payment of the purported contract.
When asked by the prosecution the relationship of the
defendants to the companies, Seidu said Unity Continental Nigeria Limited was
owned by Sagir Mohammed (4th defendant) who is a course mate and friend to
Dasuki.
“Law Partners and Associate belong to Barrister Edidiong,
the 3rd defendant who is a friend and associate to Dasuki.
“Helpline Organisation is owned by Bello Fadile, who was
formerly second- in- command to Dasuki.
“Vibrant Resources belongs to Abubakar Dasuki, younger
brother to Dasuki and Sologic Integrated Services Nigeria Limited belongs to
Bello Ibiyemi Abayomi, son of Bello Fadile,” he said.
He added that after execution of the search on December
29, 2015, “we asked Ashinze if he would make statement in relation to the items
recovered from his house, he accepted and we recorded it.”
The prosecution applied to tender the defendant’s
statement in evidence, but its admissibility was objected to by Nwoye based on
Section 6 of ACJA which demands voluntary giving of statement.
He argued that Section 17 (1) and (2) requires presence
of lawyer before statement can be taken and that the EFCC investigators did not
counsel him on the need to keep silent.
The prosecution, in response, said Ashinze was not
compelled to write statement in EFCC’s office rather he voluntarily wrote it.
Justice Kolawole has adjourned to March 21, 2017 for ruling on the objection raised by the defence.
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