Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
yesterday told Justice Olasumbo Goodluck, of the High Court of the Federal
Capital Territory how former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen
Oronsaye, operated a ‘secret’ bank account for the Presidential Committee on
the Financial Action Task Force in 2012. EFCC through its witness, Ms. Ngunna
Kakwagh, who was led in evidence by prosecution counsel, O. Uket told the court
how the ex-Head of Service unilaterally operated an Access Bank account in the
name of the presidential committee between 2012 and 2014 and received payments
from Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, through the account without the knowledge of
other members.
Earlier, Oronsaye was arraigned before Justice
Goodluck on a fresh two-count charge bordering on fraud where he pleaded not
guilty to all the charges preferred against him. The Federal Government accused
Oronsaye of compromising his position as Chairman of the presidential committee
by illegally diverting N190m, being part of the N240m grant, which the
committee received from CBN. After Oronsaye took his not guilty plea, Mr. Uket,
urged the court to remand him, pending the commencement of trial. However,
Oronsaye’s counsel, Mr. Joe Agi, SAN, opposed the prosecution’s request for
adjournment, saying the administration of the Criminal Justice Act, 2015
demands day to day trial after the arraignment of an accused person.
Consequently, the EFCC called its first witness, Ms. Kakwagh who testified.
Kakwagh gave a vivid account of how Oronsaye opened and operated the secret
account, adding that the former HoS was the sole signatory.
“The account opening signature and documents were
analysed. We found the account name was Presidential Committee, while means of
identification was later identified to be the international passport photograph
of Oronsaye. “Further analysis showed that it was opened in 2012 with a request
from Oronsaye to the bank manager of Access Bank which he signed as chairman.
“The account was found to have had three financial transfers from CBN and N45m
deposit by Oronsaye. “First transfer was N50m in October 2012, second transfer
N90m in May 2012, third transfer was N9m in five places,” Kakwagh revealed.
She further disclosed that the petitioner, Stephen
Jalada Alabi, a staff of the State House and a Secretary of the Presidential
Committee and Francis Ifeanyi, Head of Nigerian Financial all denied knowledge
of the secret account. “Alabi when invited by EFCC stated that the committee
maintained an account with Zenith Bank Plc, which he is a co-signatory, adding
that he had no knowledge of any Access Bank account,” she further stated.
Meanwhile, the court admitted Oronsaye to N10m bail and two sureties at N5m
each. The sureties must be at the level of directors in the federal civil
service or retired directors, who must be residents of the Federal Capital
Territory, FCT. Part of the charged read: “Stephen Oronsaye a.k.a. Mr. Steve
Oronsaye on or about 12th June, 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the
High Court of the Federal Capital Territory whilst being the Chairman of the
Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force and in such capacity
entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N90m committed breach of
trust in respect of the said sum by converting it to your personal use through
the investment of the said sum of N90m in Access Bank Plc’s Bankers Acceptance
for a tenor of 90 days at 9.0 per cent interest rate in violation of the extant
financial regulations.
Nationalmirroronline
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