Peter Oguebie, managing
director, Petrus Ogu Nigeria Limited, who is also a witness in the trial
of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, on Monday,
May 22, 2017 told Justice A. S. Umar of the Federal Capital Territory
High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja that his company sold a property
worth N600million to the former naval chief through a family company,
Harbor Bay International Limited.
Jibrin
is facing trial alongside Rear Admiral Bala Mshelia, Rear Admiral Shehu
Ahmadu (all retired) and Habor Bay International Limited on a 4-count
charge of criminal conspiracy preferred against them by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The
naval chiefs whilst in office allegedly bought a house worth
N600million from the account of Naval Engineering Services without
budgetary provision.
It
was also alleged that, the documentation for transfer of ownership of
the property was done such that a private company owned by the family of
the first defendant (Vice Admiral Jibrin) became the buyer.
The
offence is in contravention of Section 26 (1) (b) and punishable under
Section 22 (4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Act
2000.
At the resumed trial today, Oguebie, who
was led in evidence by counsel to EFCC Faruk Abdallah, as PW3, stated
that, “payment for the property located at Plot No. 2717 Cadastral A06,
Maitama, Abjua was made into our company account, Petrus Ogu Nigeria
Limited, domiciled at Diamond bank, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja by Naval
Engineering Services”.
He said: “all legal documents such as
deed of assignment, power of attorney and sales agreement relating to
the property were signed by me”
Justice
Umar had earlier admitted in evidence, the power of attorney, sales
agreement and deed of assignment as exhibits 1a, 1b and 1c,
respectively.
Also testifying, Abdulkadir Idris
Wakili, a staff with the budget office of the federation, who had
earlier been subpoenaed with respect to the certification of budget of
the Nigeria Navy said, “I was in court to present the certified true
copy of the budget of the Nigerian Navy for 2013 and 2014”.
The
prosecution sought to tender the documents in evidence, but Jibrin’s
counsel, Y. C. Maikyau, SAN, objected on the grounds that, “the same
documents earlier tendered by the prosecution and rejected by the court
for non-certification are being re-presented again ”.
Responding, Abdallah urged the court to discountenance Maikyau’s submission saying, “the issues are not the same”.
According
to him, “There are two sets of documents: one is from the Navy
forwarding their budget estimate, whereas, my Lord, the document sought
to be tendered is a document approved by the National Assembly”.
In
compliance with Section 106 (b) of the Evidence Act, Abdallah added
that, the prosecution had listed a staff of the budget office as a
witness in the proof of evidence.
At this point, Justice Umar adjourned to June 14, 2017 for ruling on the admissibility of the document.
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