A prosecution witness has told a Federal High Court in Lagos how the aides of former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, withdrew N714million from government house account with a bank draft.
Mr. Adeniyi David Tunde, a Compliance Officer with Heritage Bank Plc, told the Court, in the ongoing trial of Kalu that his aides, Udeh Jones Udeogu and two others withdrew N714 million from the Government House account with the defunct Spring Bank Plc using draft.
Kalu, his Commissioner for Finance, Udeogu, and Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited are being tried before Justice Mohammed Idris led-Court, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 34 count charge of N3.2 billion fraud.
Adeniyi, the EFCC’s third prosecution witness, while being led in evidence-in-Chief by the EFCC’s prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), on Thursday, after tendering some documents, which were admitted and marked ‘Exhibits D50 to D68′, used in the alleged fraud, also narrated how Udeogu through bank draft collected the said money from defunct Spring Bank Plc, acquired by Heritage Bank Plc.
Giving the details of how the monies were allegedly taken away from the Government House Account No. 191011955819, the witness said that on November 14, 2001, a draft for N27 million was paid on the instruction to debit account number 191011955819. He also told the court that on the same November 14, 2001, two transactions on the said account and it was debited with the sum of N40.3 million.
He added that on November 30, 2001, the account was debited with N40.3 million, of two cheques in favour of one Mike Udoh, and that a draft of N40 million was purchased by one Okoroafor in the name of Inland Bank Plc.
He mentioned that on July 2, 2001, a withdrawal of N9 million was made by Mike Udoh, while a draft of N9 million was purchased in favour of Inland Bank Plc.
The witness also stated that between December 2, 2001, and February 2003, a total of N110 million of drafts were purchased in favour of Inland Bank Plc, from the same Government House account, by Okoroafor and one O. K. Onuma.
He further stated that between March 31, 2003 and March 1, 2004, Udeogu raised a total draft of N495.3 million in favour of the defunct Inland Bank Plc.
He also informed the Court that the former Abia State Finance Commissioner used different names such as: Okey Udeh, Jones Udeogu, Udeogu E. D., and Okey Nwosu, in raising the draft.
During cross-examination by the defendants’ lawyer, the witness said he did not cite the computer that produced all the exhibits tendered in the Criminal trial.
Adeniyi while responding to the questions from Kalu’s lawyer, Mr. Uche Goddy, said though he never worked in the Umuahia branch of the bank, but he could say that the transactions in the Umuahia branch of his bank were stored in the Umuahia branch database sent to the bank’s server.
He also stated that the money withdrawn was more than money used in buying drafts, adding that from the account opening mandate, the name of Orji Kalu was not stated neither was he a signatory to the account, and that there was nowhere in the account transactions where Kalu’s name was mentioned.
In responding to Udeogu’s lawyer’s questions, the witness said he never participated in the maintenance of the Government House Account. He also admitted that there was no signature name on the statement of account tendered as only signature and date were required.
He added that not all the monies paid into the account were withdrawn.
Responding to the questions from counsel to Kalu’s company, Slok Nigeria Limited, Chief K. C. Nwofo, the witness said it was possible for a customer to deposit money in an account and another person use the money to raise draft.
He also stated that in all the transactions carried out in the account Slok Nigeria Limited was never mentioned.
Upon the completion of the witness evidence, Justice Idris, adjourned the matter till June 5 to 8, 2017, for continuation of trial of the defendants.
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