Dasukigate: Witnesses narrate how cash was withdrawn and delivered to Dokpesi

Two witnesses, Godfrey Usifo and Gabriel Agorye, yesterday testified before Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a case of illegal diversion of billions of naira meant for the purchase of arms to fight insurgency in the northeast involving Raymond Dokpesi, former Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc.

Dokpesi and his firm, Daar Investment Holdings Limited, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge of money laundering, to the tune of N2.1billion, a sum he allegedly received from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) between October 2014 and March, 2015 for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential media campaign.

Usifo, while being led in evidence as PW10 by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), counsel to the EFCC, told the court that he used to run errand for the defendant (Dokpesi), including financial transaction.

Usifo, who doubles as a secretary to DAAR Communications and Dokpesi, listed some of his schedules to include running of errands, delivery of letters/messages and withdrawal of money from bank for the defendant.

When asked by Jacobs to give details of a transaction dated March 26, 2015 (which is already in exhibit), the witness said: “According to the exhibit, it shows Godfrey Usifo (that’s me) was paid a sum of N30million from First Bank.”

On what he did with the money, he stated: “I collected the money and gave to Chief Raymond Dokpesi on the same day.”

He further stated that other transactions presented in the exhibit before him were all delivered in cash to the defendant, the same day he collected the cash.

The PW10 also stated that there were days when Dokpesi instructed First Bank to transfer money to his account, adding: “On September 7, 2015, the defendant instructed First bank to transfer money into my account, since it is a close-by bank, in order for me to withdraw and deliver to him.”

The witness also clarified his status as a staff of DAAR Communications and not of DAAR Investment and Holdings Limited.

Usifo, under cross-examination by Dokpesi’s counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), told the court that DAAR Communications is an organisation with many offices, which involved getting monies from customers that are too numerous be numbered.

He told the court that he did not know the source of money that was paid to the defendant.

Also testifying, Agorye, who gave his designation as a Personal Assistant to Dokpesi, said as a staff of DAAR Communications, some of his schedules include running errands, dispatch of letters, bank withdrawals or any other assigned task.