A prosecution witness in the trial of a former Chief of Defense Staff,
CDS, Air Marshal Alex S. Badeh (retd) has revealed how a lawyer to the
former CDS absconded to Dubai with title documents of various properties
allegedly procured with monies removed from the accounts of the
Nigerian Air Force, NAF, between January and December, 2013.
The
witness, Nuhu Dalhatu, made this disclosure on May 3, 2017 while being
cross-examined by Lasun Sanusi, SAN, who held brief for Badeh’s counsel,
Akin Olujimi, SAN, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court,
Maitama, Abuja.
Badeh is being prosecuted by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Limited on a
10-count charge of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and
corruption.
He allegedly abused his office as CDS by using the
dollar equivalent of the sum of N1.4billion removed from the accounts of
the Nigerian Air Force to purchase properties in choice areas of Abuja
between January and December, 2013.
Dalhatu, a forensic analyst
of the EFCC, had earlier told the court that, the analysis of NAF
statements of accounts, as well as key revelations by a NAF financial
officer, Squadron Leader Emmanuel Abu, proved useful in investigations.
According
to him, “investigations revealed that Barrister Hussaini Umar sold
properties at the behest of Air Commodore Yushau, on behalf of Badeh,
which title documents and power of attorney Umar said he had submitted
to Barrister Timothy Muje, the company secretary to Iyalikam Nigeria
Limited, for endorsement.
“The Commission made efforts to invite
Barrister Muje, but he failed to turn up. We made attempts to arrest him
only to find out that he had absconded through the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport for Dubai.”
Dalhatu further revealed that
the investigating team executed a search warrant on one of Badeh’s
properties at 6, Ogun River Crescent, Maitama, Abuja, and discovered two
unaddressed waybills, exhibits T104 and T105.
When asked by
Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, counsel to EFCC, to shed more light on the ownership
of the waybills, Dalhatu said, “the two waybills were discovered in a
room filled with furniture and were from a Kaduna-based furniture
company, Almuhansay. In our interview with the managing director of
Almuhansay, he said that while on one of his business trips, importing
furniture from Dubai, he did not fill up his container and was
approached by Mrs. Mary Iyah Badeh, who requested that he convey goods
to Abuja for her.
“On arrival of the goods, he (MD, Almuhansay)
said that he left the waybills unaddressed due to its sensitivity, and
gave it to his driver for delivery. Mrs. Badeh’s furniture were marked
‘Badeh 1-9’.”
After re-examination on new issues raised, the case was adjourned to May 16, 17 and 18 for further hearing.
No comments:
Post a Comment