Aide 'paid N600,000 -N900,000 into Saraki's account 50 times one day'
Wed Apr 06, 2016 02:43:pm National
2K By sosa hills
A witness in the ongoing corruption trial of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has given details of an investigation that he said showed how Mr. Saraki used money belonging to Kwara State government to purchase properties in various places.
Saraki is arraigned before the CCT by the Federal Government for false declaration of assets.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which testified against Saraki at the CCT on Tuesday, claimed that the affected property were purchased and maintained by a private company, Carlisle Property and Investment Nigeria Limited, on behalf of Dr Saraki.
The ant graft agency alleged that a loan of N4 billion was sought and obtained from Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) by the company to purchase the properties located in Lagos and Abuja.
A prosecution witness of the EFCC, Mr. Michael Wetkas, who led the commission's team that investigated the assets of Saraki, disclosed these findings to the tribunal yesterday.
He said that one of the properties located at No. 17 and 17A McDonald Road Ikoyi, Lagos, was purchased from the loan at N497 million in 2006 while another one at 2A, Glover Road, Ikoyi was bought for N325 million between 2007 and 2008 from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The witness, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), alleged that the Senate President had interest in the company but did not declare the interest in the Assets Declaration Form.
Wetkas informed the Tribunal that investigation of Saraki's assets followed various petitions, one of which came from Kwara Freedom Network alleging abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, and money laundering against the former Kwara State governor.
The witness told the tribunal that the then Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, ordered the investigation of the Senate President's assets based on an intelligent report he received.
Apart from Carlisle Company, the witness said that Skyview Property Limited, Limkas Nigeria Limited, and Tinytee also purchased and maintained properties and accounts with Guarantee Trust Bank, Zenith Bank and the then Intercontinental Trust Bank, now Access Bank.
Besides the properties, he said that the defendant maintained three accounts with GTB known as Naira Currency Account, Dollar Currency Account and Pounds Sterling Account.
The witness insisted that cash in flow into the account was basically used for the acquisition of the houses.
On the dollar account, the witness said that the major source of cash flow into it was from Carlisle Property Company which was about $2 million and that other sources of in flow into the account was from a bureau de change company and lodgements by various individuals.
The witness claimed that part of the funds in the dollar account was used to purchase property in London.
Wetkas further told the tribunal that lodgements to the company's account were done by some of the aides of the former Kwara State governor and that some of the aides could not be located by the EFCC to give details on the lodgements.
He claimed that the report of the anti graft agency was submitted to the Federal Ministry of Justice which later referred it to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for further investigations because the findings bordered mainly on properties that were not declared in the assets form.
As a follow up, Wetkass told the tribunal that the operatives from EFCC, CCB and ICPC constituted another probe panel which analysed the six assets declaration forms submitted by the former Kwara State governor to the CCB.
In their findings, the witness said that the five properties purchased and maintained by Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited located at Ikoyi in Lagos and Maitama in Abuja, were not captured in the assets forms Saraki submitted to the CCB.
The assets declaration forms submitted to CCB by Saraki and analysed by the EFCC probe panel were tendered and admitted as exhibits by the Chairman of the tribunal, Mr. Danladi Yukubu Umar.
Saraki's counsel, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), however reserved his objections on the admissibility of the assets forms till a later date.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has adjourned till today for continuation of the case.
Earlier, the tribunal refused to grant Saraki's application for an adjournment on the grounds that the new Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 did not encourage the practice.
In a reaction to the CCT's proceedings, Saraki said he was glad that his trial on asset declaration in 2003 had finally commenced.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said the proceedings of Tuesday had given him confidence that if the trial was conducted fairly, he would be vindicated.
He noted that even though the prosecution tried to bring in some dramatic narratives, it was clear that they were merely thrashing around and hoping to titillate the public with salacious tales.
Saraki added that he was hopeful that when the time comes, his lawyers would have the opportunity to present his case.
The Chairman then adjourned the continuation of the hearing to the next day, Wednesday, April 6.
The trial commenced after efforts by Mr. Saraki's lawyers to force an adjournment failed.
One of his lawyers, Paul Usoro, had informed the tribunal of an application for stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to entertain the matter.
The Chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar, however ruled that the application before the Court of Appeal could not stop the commencement of trial based on the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Saraki is arraigned before the CCT by the Federal Government for false declaration of assets.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which testified against Saraki at the CCT on Tuesday, claimed that the affected property were purchased and maintained by a private company, Carlisle Property and Investment Nigeria Limited, on behalf of Dr Saraki.
The ant graft agency alleged that a loan of N4 billion was sought and obtained from Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) by the company to purchase the properties located in Lagos and Abuja.
A prosecution witness of the EFCC, Mr. Michael Wetkas, who led the commission's team that investigated the assets of Saraki, disclosed these findings to the tribunal yesterday.
He said that one of the properties located at No. 17 and 17A McDonald Road Ikoyi, Lagos, was purchased from the loan at N497 million in 2006 while another one at 2A, Glover Road, Ikoyi was bought for N325 million between 2007 and 2008 from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The witness, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), alleged that the Senate President had interest in the company but did not declare the interest in the Assets Declaration Form.
Wetkas informed the Tribunal that investigation of Saraki's assets followed various petitions, one of which came from Kwara Freedom Network alleging abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, and money laundering against the former Kwara State governor.
The witness told the tribunal that the then Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, ordered the investigation of the Senate President's assets based on an intelligent report he received.
Apart from Carlisle Company, the witness said that Skyview Property Limited, Limkas Nigeria Limited, and Tinytee also purchased and maintained properties and accounts with Guarantee Trust Bank, Zenith Bank and the then Intercontinental Trust Bank, now Access Bank.
Besides the properties, he said that the defendant maintained three accounts with GTB known as Naira Currency Account, Dollar Currency Account and Pounds Sterling Account.
The witness insisted that cash in flow into the account was basically used for the acquisition of the houses.
On the dollar account, the witness said that the major source of cash flow into it was from Carlisle Property Company which was about $2 million and that other sources of in flow into the account was from a bureau de change company and lodgements by various individuals.
The witness claimed that part of the funds in the dollar account was used to purchase property in London.
Wetkas further told the tribunal that lodgements to the company's account were done by some of the aides of the former Kwara State governor and that some of the aides could not be located by the EFCC to give details on the lodgements.
He claimed that the report of the anti graft agency was submitted to the Federal Ministry of Justice which later referred it to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for further investigations because the findings bordered mainly on properties that were not declared in the assets form.
As a follow up, Wetkass told the tribunal that the operatives from EFCC, CCB and ICPC constituted another probe panel which analysed the six assets declaration forms submitted by the former Kwara State governor to the CCB.
In their findings, the witness said that the five properties purchased and maintained by Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited located at Ikoyi in Lagos and Maitama in Abuja, were not captured in the assets forms Saraki submitted to the CCB.
The assets declaration forms submitted to CCB by Saraki and analysed by the EFCC probe panel were tendered and admitted as exhibits by the Chairman of the tribunal, Mr. Danladi Yukubu Umar.
Saraki's counsel, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), however reserved his objections on the admissibility of the assets forms till a later date.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has adjourned till today for continuation of the case.
Earlier, the tribunal refused to grant Saraki's application for an adjournment on the grounds that the new Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 did not encourage the practice.
In a reaction to the CCT's proceedings, Saraki said he was glad that his trial on asset declaration in 2003 had finally commenced.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said the proceedings of Tuesday had given him confidence that if the trial was conducted fairly, he would be vindicated.
He noted that even though the prosecution tried to bring in some dramatic narratives, it was clear that they were merely thrashing around and hoping to titillate the public with salacious tales.
Saraki added that he was hopeful that when the time comes, his lawyers would have the opportunity to present his case.
The Chairman then adjourned the continuation of the hearing to the next day, Wednesday, April 6.
The trial commenced after efforts by Mr. Saraki's lawyers to force an adjournment failed.
One of his lawyers, Paul Usoro, had informed the tribunal of an application for stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to entertain the matter.
The Chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar, however ruled that the application before the Court of Appeal could not stop the commencement of trial based on the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
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