How money was illegally moved to fund Jonathan’s campaign, by witness

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has been told that the sum of N4.6 billion allegedly transferred into a Joint Trust account was used to finance the Presidential Campaign of former President, Goodluck Jonathan.

The prosecution witness, an investigating officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Shehu Shuaibu narrated this before Justice Daniel Osiagor in an ongoing trial of former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, and two others.

The defendants are being accused of money laundering offences and other fraud-related offences.

However, under cross-examination, by Mr. Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), counsel to the first defendant (Nenadi Usman), the witness stated that his team, from the Special Task Force of the EFCC, did not invite former President Jonathan throughout their investigation.

The witness stated that the first defendant (Usman), was the Director of Finance, at President Goodluck Jonathan’s Campaign Organisation, while the second defendant, Fani-Kayode, was the Director, of Media and Publicity of the organisation.

The witness was asked why he did not invite ex-President Jonathan to confirm or deny if the money paid into the Joint Trust account was expended for his campaign or not, he responded, “we did not invite him, since the President was not the one that expended the money.”

The witness further disclosed that the money was paid from the State House to the NEA Account before it was transferred into the Joint Trust account.

The witness said that the money was paid by the Permanent Secretary, State House, Engineer Nebolisa Emodi and that he was invited for Interrogation by his team but not charged to court.

After listening to the testimony, the trial judge subsequently adjourned the matter till October 28, 2022, for the continuation of trial.

Fani-Kayode is standing trial alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Yusuf Danjuma, and a company, Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Ltd.

The EFCC had filed a 17-count charge of N4.6 billion money laundering against the defendants before the former trial judge, Justice Mohammed Aikawa.

The defendants had each pleaded not guilty to the counts and were granted bail.

Trial in the case had started before Justice Aikawa and witnesses were being led in evidence before the trial judge was transferred out of the Lagos division of the court.

The case was subsequently assigned to a new trial judge, Justice Daniel Osaigor, and the defendants had to start the case afresh (de novo).

The EFCC alleged that the defendants committed the offences between January and March 2015 in Lagos at various times, unlawfully retaining over N4.6 billion, which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of unlawful acts of stealing and corruption.

On counts 15 to 17, Fani-Kayode and one Olubode Oke, who is said to be at large, were alleged to have made cash payments of about N30 million to one Paste Poster Co (PPC) of No 125 Lewis Street, Lagos.

The said payments were alleged to have been made in excess of amounts allowed by law without going through a financial institution.

The anti-graft agency stated that their offences contravened the provisions of sections 15 (3) (4), 16 (2) (b), and 16 (5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.