The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on October 4 presented its first witness, PW1, Umar Bello, in the trial of one Olugbenga Obadina, Chairman and Managing Director, Almond Projects Limited, who is facing an eight-count charge of fraud before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Mr. Obadina allegedly collected money to the tune of N2.4 billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, under Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) for a phony contract.

He was accused of collecting a sum of N2, 417, 000,000.00 (two billion, four hundred and seventeen million naira), through his company’s account in tranches, between 2013 and 2015 from the account of the ONSA without a contract award.
The offence is contrary to Section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
At the commencement of trial on Tuesday, Mr. Bello, an operative of the EFCC, while being led in evidence by counsel to EFCC, Aso Larry Peters, told the court how Mr. Obadina, as Chairman, Almond Projects paid over N90 million to one Bamiduro Olaitan, an agent, to arrange local and international travels for him.

According to him, “a petition was received by the Commission from the Office of the National Security Adviser dated 28th November, 2016 and was assigned to Special Task Force Team 2, for investigation.”
Mr. Bello stated that the ONSA petition requested the EFCC to investigate 78 companies that received payments from it without any contractual agreement or contact award.

“Almond Project Limited was one of the companies and our investigation revealed that they received N1.553 billion and 2 million dollars”, he added.
The witness also told the court that letters of investigation were sent to banks, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), ONSA, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and parties were also invited for interview.
According to him, responses from banks were received and analysed to see how funds were received and utilized. He said that, investigation revealed that the defendant (Obadina), who is a representative of Almond Project, received more than the amount mentioned in the petition.
“When Obadina was invited to explain the transaction, he said there was a Solar Power Project in Yobe State that he was supposed to execute on behalf of the ONSA and that the former NSA, Sambo Dasuki, had given him the 1000 megawatts Solar project to execute”, Mr. Bello stated.

He further told the court that the claim was investigated, but the reply from the ONSA showed that the contract did not exist and payments received by Almond Projects according to the mandate from ONSA, were for renovation of office, supply of equipment and consultancy services.
“The Special Services Office under the OSGF said they had no evidence of the contract, but payments were made based on approvals given by the former NSA,” Mr. Bello added.
The witness also told the court how utilization of the said funds were converted to personal use by the defendant, Mr. Obadina.

“He made payments to his family, friends and associates, paid salaries, office rent and accommodation, paid for travels, bought shares, made payments for loans he took from banks, bought a vehicle (Mercedes Benz), converted money to dollars and made transfers to foreign accounts.
“The defendant also made transfers of over N37 million to his wife and over N271 million to self, with N205 million in property which he later sold and disposed the proceeds”, Bello narrated.
Thereafter, the prosecuting counsel told the court that he had some documents he would like to tender after filing the additional proof of evidence in the course of the trial.
The case has been adjourned to November 23 and 24 for continuation of hearing.


(C)PremiumTimes

Distributed by AfricanEye
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http://www.afrieyes.com/2016/10/how-businessman-shared-n24-billion.html

Personal travels, rent office, pay wife, transfer abroad, buy shares and properties, etc with OUR money!
Evil that men do...

This story should be released next week Monday


Every Monday of the week the APC government will release such stories to wet down the throats of gullible Nigerians.

Observing

Normal thing. He is a thief. But nothing will happen because the case is in Nigeria

SamuelAnyawu:
This story should be released next week Monday


Every Monday of the week the APC government will release such stories to wet down the throats of gullible Nigerians.

you are so used to corruption that it is affecting your sense of reasoning

Cc lalasticlala mynd44

CoolFreeday:
Personal travels, rent office, pay wife, transfer abroad, buy shares and properties, etc with OUR money!
Evil that men do...

. As old as you are you still believe this crap? This is exactly what they want you to believe, there is nothing like this story, they just hurriedly brought this up after the ecowas court verdict to make Nigerians reject the ecowas court, they should take dasuki to court fie him to face all these so called witnesses for Nigerians to believe them

Michaelgates:
you are so used to corruption that it is affecting your sense of reasoning

so my brother you have not noticed this trend by APC propaganda writers and papers as old as you are or how intellectual you think you are, you still believe this crap? Let me tell you, this is brought forward to cover their embarrassment they got from ECOWAS court

Made payments to wife, his account , bought mercedez Benz ...with our money . haaaaaaa!!!

durangokid:
. As old as you are you still believe this crap? This is exactly what they want you to believe, there is nothing like this story, they just hurriedly brought this up after the ecowas court verdict to make Nigerians reject the ecowas court, they should take dasuki to court fie him to face all these so called witnesses for Nigerians to believe them

Its unfortunate. I don't only believe'the crap" they said but I can see the effects of that "crap".
I don't support impunity and corruption like you guys, sorry.

CoolFreeday:


Its unfortunate. I don't only believe'the crap" they said but I can see the effects of that "crap".
I don't support impunity and corruption like you guys, sorry.

What is corruption, please can you tell me and those involved in it, have you ever asked yourself this question less than two years after your Demi god buhari claimed that he borrowed money to buy his nomination from his daughter was caught wearing an ear ring worth more than 800000 naira and his wife with a shoe worth more than that?

durangokid:
What is corruption, please can you tell me and those involved in it, have you ever asked yourself this question less than two years after your Demi god buhari claimed that he borrowed money to buy his nomination from his daughter was caught wearing an ear ring worth more than 800000 naira and his wife with a shoe worth more than that?

Are you saying aside Buhari they don't have a life? is Buhari the only influential person around them. Do you know Aisha's family? don't be judging blindly pls.
Even if Buhari is corrupt, let him continue the fight against corruption, he won't be there forever, when another person come, let that person fight Buhari and his official. That way, Nigeria will be better for it.
If I may ask, since you don't want buhari to fight against corruption, then who do you want to fight it or we should just leave it to keep increasing and destroying our country?

CoolFreeday:


Are you saying aside Buhari they don't have a life? is Buhari the only influential person around them. Do you know Aisha's family? don't be judging blindly pls.
Even if Buhari is corrupt, let him continue the fight against corruption, he won't be there forever, when another person come, let that person fight Buhari and his official. That way, Nigeria will be better for it.
If I may ask, since you don't want buhari to fight against corruption, then who do you want to fight it or we should just leave it to keep increasing and destroying our country?

Please my I wish buhari will fight corruption to a standstill, anybody who is against it doesn't want Nigeria to progress but my argument is this who is corrupt and who is not if buhari will only fight his enemies and the opposition leaving members of party who are found to be more corrupt what do you call that, PDP is corrupt, who is PDP, are the not humans, who are those humans, Amechi who was a speaker for eight years in PDP and seven years as a governor in the same party, Masari a speaker for years in PDP, el rufai a minister in PDP, gundje a speaker for eight years, otorm a minister for six years, obj a president for eight years, atiku, gamade, ogbe, and all the rest, so what are you talking, you and me knows the rest so it only amuses me when some if you think that you have conquered you can now use power and authority to come after those you hate but remember tomorrow never dies, I wish all of them will be rounded up and bombed together even with my igbo brothers though they are not prominent in the looting list

durangokid:
Please my I wish buhari will fight corruption to a standstill, anybody who is against it doesn't want Nigeria to progress but my argument is this who is corrupt and who is not if buhari will only fight his enemies and the opposition leaving members of party who are found to be more corrupt what do you call that, PDP is corrupt, who is PDP, are the not humans, who are those humans, Amechi who was a speaker for eight years in PDP and seven years as a governor in the same party, Masari a speaker for years in PDP, el rufai a minister in PDP, gundje a speaker for eight years, otorm a minister for six years, obj a president for eight years, atiku, gamade, ogbe, and all the rest, so what are you talking, you and me knows the rest so it only amuses me when some if you think that you have conquered you can now use power and authority to come after those you hate but remember tomorrow never dies, I wish all of them will be rounded up and bombed together even with my igbo brothers though they are not prominent in the looting list

yes, they are corrupt, still we have to start from somewhere. let him continue, the next administration can fight amaechi and co.

CoolFreeday:


yes, they are corrupt, still we have to start from somewhere. let him continue, the next administration can fight amaechi and co.

you are clapping today because buhari is going after the people you hate and your type is those who will pull down the country when someone from another party of the country continue with the cleansing, like you did when Jonathan wanted to remove oil subsidy and masturbate when buhari removed it

durangokid:
you are clapping today because buhari is going after the people you hate and your type is those who will pull down the country when someone from another party of the country continue with the cleansing, like you did when Jonathan wanted to remove oil subsidy and masturbate when buhari removed it

You people should be tired of this same line of reasoning.
Amaechi, Fashola and co are the people fighting corruption along with Buhari because the are presently in power.
You can't expect them to send EFCC after themselves.
You people have to wait till the end of their tenure; when PDP might have 'won' then you can send Buhari to The Hague, Fashola and Amaechi can be sent to Kuje without trial.

As it is now, APC is going to arrest and possibly jail every corrupt opposition. Is it clear now?

Call it witch hunting, one-sided fight against corruption, it doesn't matter. Buhari wont jail his people. Please get use to it.

pedel:


You people should be tired of this same line of reasoning.
Amaechi, Fashola and co are the people fighting corruption along with Buhari because the are presently in power.
You can't expect them to send EFCC after themselves.
You people have to wait till the end of their tenure; when PDP might have 'won' then you can send Buhari to The Hague, Fashola and Amaechi can be sent to Kuje without trial.

As it is now, APC is going to arrest and possibly jail every corrupt opposition. Is it clear now?

Call it witch hunting, one-sided fight against corruption, it doesn't matter. Buhari wont jail his people. Please get use to it.

Thank you for saying this, at least they have arrested and interrogated children of obanikoro, some of them think by the time another party gets power they may not be available at least with the new trend their children Will be looked into by that time it will be the usual trend, I hope some of you then Will not call it ethnic hatred or cleansing like some called it when ihegirika was dealing with boko haram.

And that useless ECOWAS's court wants Dasuki released. It has not occurred to them that the reason Nigeria they know as "big brother" in ECOWA is not paying her dues is because of people like dasuki that we have in the system.

durangokid:
you are clapping today because buhari is going after the people you hate and your type is those who will pull down the country when someone from another party of the country continue with the cleansing, like you did when Jonathan wanted to remove oil subsidy and masturbate when buhari removed it

I don't hate people, I only hate corruption and anything that affect my dear country. if my father is corrupt, buhari should go and pick him, I don't care.
Jonathan was removing subsidy at the peak of our oil boom. the partial removal they did and the refinery he promised to build in 3years with the sure-p money, where is it. Tel me the notable achievements of sure-p with the trillions of naira that they managed. Why did the formal sure-p boss resigned?

Common, forget sentiment let's call spade a spade. sentiment and this mentality won't help us.