The allegation of illegally operating a financial institution suit filled by the EFCC against Dr. Philemon Gora continued on Monday 5th October and Tuesday 6th October with the admittance of more evidence by the court as presented by the prosecution witnesses.
Gora has always pleaded not guilty to the charges stressing, “I am not guilty because I have a valid bank license’’
We recall that the first prosecution witness, Philip Eze, while being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, in the previous hearing had already told the court all he knew about the alleged illegal financial operations of Dr, Gora way back when he worked as a staff in Cashflow ABI Network Limited as business developer, a company owned by Dr. Gora .
The day began with the cross examination of the Mr. Philip Eze by the defense counsel. Mr. Eze confirmed to the court again and again that Cashflow Abi Network Limited and Dr. Gora was indeed paying investors as at when due before the purported freezing of the accounts of Cashflow ABI and Dr. Gora ‘s Personal accounts by the EFCC.
According to Mr. Eze, although, Gora could not continue payment of liabilities based on his company’s accounts being frozen by the government , he, Dr. Gora started different sets of investment schemes and almost all of them ending in a sad note of people investments being trapped.
When he was further cross examined, he said he never operated any of the Cashflow ABI network Ltd’s bank accounts except dealing with bank officers at the counter without meeting with any senior officers. Eze claimed all the investments capital he collected from investors in the capacity of account officer and business developer of Cashflow, he paid them to Cashflow bank accounts.
When pressed further on the mode of payment of ROI to some of the investors that he managed their investments, he said he paid all their accrued interests through their personal bank accounts.
From cross examination and from Eze’s personal statement, he had managed many of the investors’ funds and he used his personal bank account sometimes to make transactions either to collect investment capitals or to transfer money Return on Investments to clients he was managing their investments.
The defense counsel now asked Mr. Eze whether he knew the charges to which Dr, Gora is being tried, he said he was not aware specifically. He was then asked whether his testimony is relevant to the charges in which Dr. Gora is charged, he claimed not to have seen the charge or charges of the case of which Gora is tried. At this point, Eze ended his testimony.

The prosecution then presented another witness by the name of Michael Olushola Olusegun who mounted the witness box to testify against Dr. Gora. Immediately after taking his oath he started by saying Gora with his organization, Cashflow ABI Network Ltd was introduced to him by Philip Eze, the then business developer with Cashflow Network Ltd. Michael told the court that Philip Eze introduced Dr. Gora’s car investment scheme to him which attracted 50% of whatever anyone invested in 45 days to get a car of one’s choice. Michael said he invested N100,000 (One hundred Thousand Naira) of which he was supposed to get his proposed car (Toyota Highlander) after 9 months of investment based on accumulation of the 9 month return on investment (interest) of the 100K invested. He did not get either his N100,000 capital or interest.
He also invested in other packages he could not remember the exact amount. He claimed to have paid all his investments into Cashflow ABI network’ bank account.
According to Mr. Michael, another scheme brought out by Dr. Gora after the collapse and failure of Cashflow ABI Network Ltd, which he also participated was called the Local Robot. It was a scheme that was to last for 7 years of which an investor was expected to get 40% interest in every 30 days. There was an option for investors to cash out their invested capital and interest after 3 months and close their accounts if they so wished. He never took the option of closing his account. He claimed to have invested N900,000, with some fractions of thousand in Naira that he cannot remember, which ended in the same fate like Cashflow Investment with neither his capital returned nor his interest received.
He claimed to have paid this particular investment in 2 installments through Diamond bank account of Cashflow. He also claimed to have photocopies of deposit Tellers to tender in evidence to substantiate his claim. However, there was a mix up as he could not identify which among the numerous tellers is for which of the investments.
The counsel to the EFCC, amidst the confusion of document sorting, applied for adjournment for the prosecution to diligently sought necessary documents for evidence. The judge granted the request and adjourned the case to be continued on the next day, Tuesday, 6th November, 2018
However, On the second day, Michael changed his mind as to the number of installment payment he made on Local Robot investment. As against 2 installments he said on the previous day, he later claimed to have made 3 installments in the payment. When asked the figure by the prosecution counsel, he said it was within the range of 930, 000 (Nine hundred and Thirty Thousand) as he could not get the exact figure since it was a long period of time.
The prosecution counsel thereafter asked Michael whether he had any other investment outside what he had just enumerated, Michael answered yes. He went on to enumerate how he invested in another organization allegedly owned by the same defendant in the name of G- Commanding Ltd. According to him, he subscribed to several investment schemes of the company like farmers investment, Astonish package, and he also invested through Success Aid Corporative Society, an organization with 67 members, of which majority of its members also invested through the organization. Michael said the total money invested by members of Success Aid in G-Commanding is well above 10 Million Naira paid through 2 different cheques. Through success Aid, he claimed to have invested 1.2 Million Naira .
He came with a list of 67 members of Success Aid which the judge later admitted in evidence as he claimed to be the admin Officer of this organization.
In all, Michael told the court that he a made a total investment of N14,335,500 in all of Gora’s organizations (Cashflow ABI Network Limited an G-Commanding). For G-Commanding, the Return on Investment fixed by the company was 40% every month. He claimed to not have neither received his invested capital nor interest promised. Also the investment he made through Cashflow did not yield any return and all investment capitals lost.
When pressed further by the prosecution to prove this allegation, he presented sample cards, a kind of scratch cards of different denomination signaling the total amount of failed investments which was given to him by Dr. Gora. He was supposed to scratch each of the cards, reveal the token and together with bank account details send to Dr. Gora’s personal number through which his account would be credited based on the denomination of the card scratched. Michael said he never scratched any of the cards as he never believed in Dr. Gora again after so many failed promises of payment, one of which Dr. Gora would asked each person to pay 10% of their total trapped investment and Gora could not fulfil his end of the bargain even after the 10%-person payment.
Some of the original card samples were tendered in evidence and the defense counsel did not object.
When crossed examined by the defense counsel, it was pointed out to Michael that in his written statement to the EFCC, he never mentioned that Dr. Gora rolled out different investment schemes and he participated in some of them. Also the defense counsel made it clear to the court that Mr. Michael made 2 different statements on different dates to the EFCC. Mike replied that the second statement was a continuation of his first written statement. However, the judge upheld that the 2 statements are different based on the contents and the date issued.
The case was adjourned to 23rd and 30th November 2018 for continuation of hearing.
Immediately after the adjournment, the defense counsel brought to the attention of the judge of the several threats by the Nigeria Police to re-arrest Dr. Gora still on the same came that is pending in court. The latest instances being the drama of the 10th October, 2018, a rogue police officer illegally was brought to the court premises from Minna Police Command to arrest Dr. Gora in a case already in court. This situation can be seen as an assassination plot using a rogue police officer. The rogue police officer was armed, imagine what would have happened if Dr. Gora did not physically resist the arrest with the help of bystanders. Also on the 1st November 2018, a team of police on the order of the EFCC came to court to arrest Gora based on the same case. Again, on Sunday, 4th November 2018, another set of police came to arrest Gora. The defense counsel reminded the judge that all security agencies were given restraining order from arresting his client for now until this case is finally determined. The judge became furious and ordered that no police, EFCC or any other security personnel should arrest Dr. Gora on this case as it is already in court. She further gave a restraining order that the Nigeria police, the EFCC or other security agencies should stay off from arresting Dr. Gora pending the determination of this case.