As the trial of N8.5 billion fraud case involving NIMASA and the military Joint Taskforce in the Niger Delta continues in Lagos, prosecution witness, Teslim Ajuwon, said retired Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe was a signatory to the JTF’s account.
Ajuwon told a Federal High Court on Wednesday that Atewe, a former Commander of JTF’s “Operation Pulo Shield’’, and an officer, Lt. I.M. Ogadoga, signed the instruments that debited the unit’s account.
Atewe is standing trial alongside a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, Kime Engozu and Josephine Otuaga over N8.5 billion fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the accused persons on an 11-count charge bordering on fraud.
On Wednesday, the witness (PW1), who began his evidence on Oct. 18, continued as led by the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, in his evidence-in-chief.
He told the court that the instruments for the debiting of the account of JTF were signed by the co-signatories.
According to him, the EFCC had sometime in 2015 processed a request for statement of account and certificate of identification in respect of two firms — Lord Fem Engineering Services Ltd and First Investment and Property Ltd.
The response was forwarded to the commission accordingly, he added.
Revealing the transactions carried out on Sept. 5 and Sept. 9, 2014 on the account, the witness said there were two cash inflows from the JTF account to Jaggan Ltd for the sum of N50 million each.
On Sept. 16, 2014, N50.5 million was transferred to Jaggan Ltd, while on Aug. 25, 2014, a First Bank order transferred N7 million to Lord Fem Engineering Ltd.
After the evidence, both counsel agreed on Nov. 22 and Dec. 5 for continuation of trial.
The anti-graft agency had accused Atewe, Patrick Akpobolokemi and others of conspiring to defraud NIMASA of N8.5 billion using seven companies.
The companies are Jagan Ltd, Jagan Trading Company Ltd, Jagan Global Services Ltd, Al-Nald Ltd, Paper Warehouse Ltd, Eastpoint Integrated Services Ltd and De-New Link Integrated Services Ltd.
The offences were committed between Sept. 5, 2014 and May 20, 2015.
The accused all pleaded innocence of the offences.
The offences contravened Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and Section 390 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation, 2004. (NAN)