Ladipo Sanusi/
A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told a Lagos High Court how Delta State government paid millions of naira to a Federal High Court judge, who is standing trial before the court on alleged corruption.
Uchenna Okaranwolu told the Court that Delta State government paid N15million into Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia’s bank account.
Okaranwolu, an insurance salesman, was a staff at Access Bank Plc, where he managed Ajumogobia’s accounts.
The witness while being led in evidence by the EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, Okaranwolu revealed the judge’s transaction details.
He said, “On August 5, 2011 an Oceanic Bank cheque from the Delta State government for N15 million, was paid into Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia’s account.
“On March 23, 2010, I mass a cash deposit of N1.5 million into her account; on July 20, 2010 I deposited an Afribank cheque of N7million into her account; on August 29, 2011, a Zenith Bank cheque of N9 million from Delta State government house was paid into her account.”
Explaining his relationship with the judge, Okaranwolu said, “I know the first defendant in this case. She is the customer of the bank, and I was her account officer from 2008 to 2009, and 2011, and 2012.”
He revealed that he paid in money in US dollars on behalf of the judge into US dollar credit card account as well as other lodgement in naira into her naira account.
“I sometimes ran some errands for Justice Ajumogobia. She sometimes wrote cheques in my name to withdraw money from her account, when she could not stand in the banking hall because of the long queues,” he said.
Okaranwolu while being guided by Oyedepo, read aloud, details of Ofili-Ajumogobia’s credit card account with the bank where deposits ranging from $500 to $49,000 amounting to over $650,000 were paid into the account over a six-year period.
“On May 7, 2008, $20,000 was paid into the account by one Ken Mozia; on June 20, 2008, $49,000 was paid into the account by one Donald Ofili; on August 25, 2008, $500 was paid into the account by the judge,” he said.
Okaranwolu told the court that he received the funds from the judge at either her home or the banking hall of the branch of Access Bank where he worked.
“Our meeting point was usually the banking hall or at one of her homes which included an apartment in Military St., Onikan, a home in an estate in Lekki or the Judges Quarters on Glover Road, Ikoyi,” he said .
Earlier, during the trial, a bureau de change operator, Mr Said Abba told the court how he helped the judge and her Diamond Bank Account officer, Mr Ademola Oshodi.
He said, “Oshodi calls me sometimes to pay cash and transfer money into Ajumogobia’s account in which I get the dollar equivalent.
“If I pay dollars to him I get cash in naira or naira is transferred into my account.”
However, on cross-examination by Ofili-Ajumogobia’s counsel, Mr Olawole Akoni (SAN), Abba admitted that he never met the judge.
“I don’t know Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, Oshodi never told me where he got the money from and whenever I met Demola, I dealt with him in the bank,” he said.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi adjourned the case to April 28 for continuation of trial.
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Nothing kills quicker than greed.