Court adjourns Oronsaye’s case till May 19

An FCT High Court on Thursday adjourned till May 19 the case of alleged diversion of N190 million against former Head of Service Stephen Oronsaye.

Justice Olasumbo Goodluck adjourned the matter after the prosecuting counsel, Offem Uket, told the court that some of his witnesses were not in court.

At the resumed hearing, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), Oransaye’s counsel had cross-examined, Olubunmi Ojoko from Access Bank Plc.

Ojoko told the court that she believed the defendant did not provide the approval from the Accountant-General of the Federation because of his position.

She said that the defendant comes for the transaction personally or send his representatives.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission also fielded two other witnesses, Blaze Jacobs, a Deputy Director, Risk Management, Central Bank of Nigeria, and Jalal Arabi, Secretary to the committee.

Jacobs told the court that he knew Oronsaye when he became the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force.

He said that he was also a member of the National Risk Assessment of Nigeria and engaged in tackling the issues of money laundering.

Arabi in his testimony said that he was not aware of the Access Bank’s Account until July 2015 when he was summoned by EFCC.

He said that such account could not be opened without a minimum of two signatories, adding that “I did not know of the existence of any other bank except the official one with Zenith Bank’’.

He also told the court that three inflows came into the Zenith Account within the period.

Arabi said that as the secretary of the committee, he keeps records, proceedings during meetings, correspondence, among others.
He also told the court that the running of the committee was financed through the Zenith Bank Account and the personal endeavour of the chairman.