Witness gives graphic details of Saraki’s undeclared assets

The Principal Witness 1, Michael Wetkas, principal detective supritendent with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), in continuation of his testimony, has given graphic details of how Senate President, Olubukola Saraki kept some of his undeclared assets.

Wetkas said the former chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde handed over to the investigative team, documents relating to the naira, dollar and pounds sterling accounts of Saraki.

The team was said to have officially written to the bank, requesting confirmation on the authenticity of the said account and for the loan statements to the naira account, which  Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), furnished it with.

The prosecution went further to tender before the tribunal, letters of request to GTB on the personal account number 0034967455, USD account number 0034967479, the bank’s response to pounds sterling account 4414411953/3/1/0, account opening package for the account, certificate of identification of the statement of account, which had its old number 441441953/1/1/0.

The cover letter for the loan of N375million which was for purchase of property in London, dated February 10, 2012 was also tendered before the court as exhibits. While the defence counsel reserved its objection to the documents, the tribunal admitted them as exhibits 7 – 10.

He went further to narrate how Abdul Adams, former personal assistant on domestic affairs to Saraki, paid N10million on March 23, 2005 and N8.2million the next day.

He said that on March 29, 2005, there was a bank draft of N200,240,000 in favour of the Presidential Implementation Committee on the sale of  Federal Government properties, for the purchase of property from the committee, and there was a loan disbursement of N200million from GTB which preceded the bank draft on the same date.

“On October 16, 2006, there was a loan disbursement of N380million from GTB and there were also two bank drafts to the implementation committee, combined in one transaction, for the total sum of N256,312,815 to purchase properties on the same date.

“There was another draft of N12,815,000 in favour of the committee on 16 October, 2006. The drafts were meant for purchase of properties from the committee by the defendant.

“On February 5, 2007, there was loan disbursement by GTB to the sum of N380million”, he said.

He explained that  as at February 27, 2007, there was a cash deposit from Josiah Samuel of the sum of N3million. On April 3, 2007, there was a telegraphic transfer of N180.7million, with an instruction from Saraki to the implementation committee, as part payment for a property.

“On September 5, 2007, in the course of investigation, we discovered cash lodgements by one Ubi in five tranches on the same day of N11m, N20m ( three times) and N6m totalling N77million.

“The account was in a debit balance of N81.96million before the lodgements on August 31, 2007. On November 22, 2007, there were cash lodgements by Abdul Adams in 50 tranches in one day, totalling N45million. On November 29, 2007, there were cash lodgements by Ubi in over 20 transactions with a total of N80million”, he testified.

He further said that there were several cash lodgements by different individuals with different names between March 14 to September 30, 2008, same as October 26, 2009 where cash deposits were made by 87 individuals with different names.

“On April 30, 2009, there was a draft written in favour of BGL Asset Management limited for the sum of N400million. Before the payment, there were several cash lodgements by different individuals same day, with a total of N165million”.

One Tobinu was also said to have on May 18, 2009 lodged $800 and another $8000, one Bayo also lodged $20,000 the same day. While one Dare lodged $50,000 on June 3, 2009, another $99,975 was transferred by B I Dahuuh on August 24, 2009, Cailaisle Allied properties and investment limited also lodged $49,969 and $59,964 into the account.

Wetkas said that the transfers to the account were out flown to the American Express Service New York Limited, and part of it to Bureau de Change companies.

According to him, “the transfers to American Express Service New York limited account was up to $3.4million, part of the outflow from the account was to the Pounds Sterling account which the defendant gave instructions for the transfer of”.

He said the Pounds Sterling account had three deposits of over £1.5million

“There was loan disbursement of N375million in February 11, 2010 into the GTB personal account for purchase of property in London, which was paid into the Naira account of the defendant, and was paid to some Bureau de Change, with the Dollar equivalent paid into the Dollar account. The sum of N184.8million was paid to Sun and Sand Investment Limited.

SEYI ANJORIN