Michael Wetkas, an investigative operative with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and prosecution witness 1 in the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has again insisted that Saraki procured undeclared properties through bank loans of over N2.5billion.
Wetkas maintained his earlier stance during cross examination by Paul Usoro SAN, at the resumption of trial, when he was asked if he found any economic and financial infractions in the activities of Skyview properties limited, one of the companies purportedly owned by Saraki.
“The only thing we found out during investigation is that, both 2481 and 2481 Cadastral zone, Maitama, Abuja were residential properties, and that loans were taken by Skyview from Guaranty Trust Bank to develop the properties.
“The loan was in two tranches of N1.8billion and over N700million. When we interview Managing Director of Skyview, he said the transactions were at the instance of the defendant and that the property belongs to the defendant, which formed our basis of the ownership”, he testified.
When asked if he ever confronted Saraki with the allegation, Wetkas said he never did.
At this point, Justice Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), adjourned the matter to June 15, 2016 on the grounds that the panel had an engagement outside the tribunal premises.
The long adjournment was however premised on a letter written to the tribunal by Kanu Agabi SAN, Saraki’s lead counsel informing the tribunal about his appointment with his physician, while Paul Usoro SAN also said he was not going to be available due to a trip he has in Ghana.
Justice Umar also berated a section of the media, which he angrily accused of not reporting the proper proceedings of the trial.
The Senate President is standing trial before the CCT on a 16 count charge bothering on allegations of under declaration of asset, money laundering, ownership of foreign accounts as a public officer and for still receiving salaries as a governor in Kwara state, having been sworn in as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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