Politics
EFCC presents third witness in Fani-Kayode’s trial for alleged N26m fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday presented its third witness in the alleged fraud trial involving a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
The EFCC arraigned Fani-Kayode for allegedly collecting N26million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in 2014.
The witness, Mohammed Goji, according to a statement sent to Ripples Nigeria by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, is one of the commission’s operatives who investigated the matter.
Goji, who was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Faruk Abdullahi, revealed how the money was traced to the ex-minister during the investigation of contracts executed by the ONSA.
He said: “We got intelligence report about some certain amount of money running into billions of naira meant for contracts in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Along the line, we discovered that N26m was paid for Media Consultancy for which there was no record that the project was executed.
“We wrote series of letters to the Office of the NSA where we got payment vouchers and proposals indicating how the said sum was paid.
“In the course of investigation we gathered that the defendant directed his domestic servants comprising of his driver by name, Francis, and his personal assistant named Victor, to access the funds from the NSA.
READ ALSO: Court rejects EFCC prayer to revoke Fani-Kayode’s bail in alleged N26m fraud trial
“They took the cash sum in a ‘Ghana –Must- Go’ bag from the account section of the NSA and took it to the defendant’s residence as directed.”
The witness also revealed how a search warrant was executed Fani-Kayode’s residence on May 10, 2016, and afterwards invited the defendant to the EFCC office for interview.
He said the defendant volunteered his statements under caution on May 11 and 12, 2016.
After witness testimony, the prosecution counsel tendered in evidence, documents comprising the search warrant and the three statements which the defendant made while in EFCC custody
Justice John Tsoho adjourned the case till April 21 for continuation of trial.
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