The witness,
Michael Wetkast, who is an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), sitting in Jabi
Abuja on Tuesday that after the expiration of
Mr.
Saraki’s second term as governor of Kwara state in 2011, the EFCC, received
several petitions from various groups in Kwara State, especially the Kwara
Freedom Network bordering on allegations of abuse of office, misappropriation
of public funds and money laundering.
He said
the petitions were investigated and in 2014, and that the then chairman of the
EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde received an intelligence report of suspicious
transactions relating to the Senate President.
He
added that Mr. Lamorde set up a three-man panel of investigators comprising of
himself (Wetkast), and two others – Chris Odofin and Nura Bako – to investigate
the intelligence report and report back its findings.
“In the
course of our investigations, the committee discovered several companies whose
activities are linked to defendant. The companies include Carlisle Properties
and Investments Limited, Skyview Properties Limited, Linkers Nigeria Limited,
Tiny-tee Limited and several others.
“Some
of the companies maintain account with Guarantee Trust Bank, Plc, Zenith Bank
Plc, Intercontinental Bank (Now Access Bank) Plc and others,” he said.
He also
said the panel found that Mr. Saraki maintained three accounts with Gtb Plc;
One in Naira, another in dollar and one other in Pound Sterling.
“An
Analysis of the accounts showed that from 2005 to 2013 about N4 Billion moved
in and out of the accounts. The major source of cash in inflow from the
accounts were loans taken from Gtb within the period.
“Loan
disbursements into the accounts stood at N2.5 Billion, while other source of
inflow were a massive cash lodgements by individuals. Investigations showed
that inflows into the account of Carlisle properties Limited was used for the
acquisition of properties.
“The
dollar domiciliary account of Carlisle had over $2 million, while the total
turnover of dollars from 2005 to 2013 was over $6 million. From the inflow into
the dollar account, $3.4 million was wired to American Express Service Europe
Ltd, used to fund an American express service New York Card No.
374588216836009,” he said.
Mr.
Wetkast added that other payments into the account was changed into Pound
Sterling and wired to the UK through Fortis Bank for purchase of a property in
London at over £1.5million.
“From
the telex transfer document available to investigators and positions taken from
the Bank, it is suggested that the Fortis account belongs to the defendant,” he
said.
He said
the EFCC invited some of the Gtb officials for questioning because it was
observed that some of the lodgements into the account were done by the Bank
officials.
“One of
them, Oluwatojimi Adeye, reported to the commission that the monies he lodged
into the accounts were given to him by a superior officer, Bayo Dauda, who was
the relationship manager of the account mentioned.
“Mr.
Dauda informed investigators that the cash were handed to him by the defendant.
He said he used to go to the Government House Ilorin to collect the cash. Most
lodgements were done by two individuals, one Ubi and another Abdul Adama.
“Ubi in
a single day made five separate lodgements of about N77 million in five
transactions.”
“Abdul
Adama on a single day made 50 lodgments into the same account of monies between
N600, 000 to N980,000. Ubi made additional 20 lodgements on the same day of
cash ranging from N600, 000 to N900,000.
“Adama
said the monies were handed to him by the defendant and that he was also the
one sending Ubi to make the lodgements because he worked under him.
“After
a while, the pattern of inflow changed. Although the figures remained at
N600,000 to N900,000, this time around lodgements were made by several
individuals.
“Investigations
revealed that those individuals were fictitious. The bank, when confronted,
said they have done the needful by drawing a report to the Nigeria Financial
Intelligence Unit, NFIU. They also provided evidence to that effect,” he said.
Mr. Wetkast
also stated that an inter-agency committee had also worked on the same issue in
2006, and that the EFCC Chairman directed that the commission’s official who
worked in the 2006 team should join the team of investigators alongside other
officials of the Code of Conduct Bureau.
The CCB
officials, he said, furnished the expanded committee with copies of the Asset
declaration Forms submitted by Mr. Saraki between 2003 to 2011.
“The
team analysed the documents and resolved to invite the Managing Director of Carlisle
properties and investments limited, Kennedy Sule.
“The
team however, found out that all the transactions in the accounts of the
company were directed by the defendant. The team requested the list of all the
properties managed by Carlisle Limited from Mr. Sule because the company has
identified rent received from tenants as its major source of revenue.
“Mr.
Kennedy went underground and efforts to get him proved abortive forcing the
commission to declare him wanted.
“The
Commission, left with no option, sought, and obtained a search warrant that
enable it to search the office of Carlise at No. 30 Saka Tinubu in Victoria
Island, Lagos.
“The
team recovered a list of properties yielding income to the defendant. Some of
the properties were obtained from the Presidential Implementation Committee on
the sale of government houses, while some were bought from the Central Bank of
Nigeria.
“The
committee wrote to AGIS in Abuja, the Land registry office in Lagos and the CBN
seeking details of the sale of the properties,” he said.
A
history of undeclared assets
Mr,
Wetkast said in the course of its investigation and after a holistic analysis
of Mr. Saraki’s asset declaration form, certain infractions were observed.
He said
a property at 15, McDonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, which was purchased through
Tiny-tee limited was not declared in his form.
Another
property, 17 and 17B, also in McDonald, Ikoyi, bought at the aggregate sum of
N497,200 million in 2006 was never declared.
“The
defendant claimed in his form that he bought the property through the sale of
Rice and Sugar, however, investigations showed that the property was acquired
through a loan taken at Gtb Ilorin GRA, Branch,” he said.
Another
property at 37A, Glover road, Ikoyi, which was bought at N325 million between
2007 and 2008 was not declared at the end of his tenure in 2011.
The 37A
Glover road property generates N5.5 million as revenue to the defendant.
Other
properties acquired by the Senate president, but not declared in his
declaration forms, Mr. Wetkast said, include “ No 1 Takus street Maitama, which
was purchased in 1991 from one Baba Akawu, and another at No. 3 Takus bought at
about the same time.
“Another
loan of N375 million taken from the Gtb was used to purchase a property in
London, while he was still serving as governor of Kwara state,” he said.
Following
the witness testimony, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, sought to tender the
certified true copies of the asset declaration forms mentioned by Mr. Wetkast
as evidence.
The
defence counsel, Mr. Usoro informed the CCT chair that he would reserve his
objection to the documents.
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.
...Culled from: http://www.premiumtimesng.com...
