The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opened its corruption case in opposition to former Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) chairman Danladi Umar with its first prosecuton witness on the FCT High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
Oluwatayo Solomon, proprietor of JTF Global Links Limited and Portal Realities, testified on he bankrolled Mr Umar’s youngsters’s school fees on the Baze University in Abuja and transferred money into his spouse’s account after the CCT paid him for the contract awarded to him.
He stated he acquired a name to pay N6 million into the checking account of Zulaihatu Umar, Mr Umar’s spouse, barely two days after he was paid by the tribunal.
According to the witness, a deputy director on the CCT on the time, Akinola Akonju, referred to as him regarding the “request” and forwarded the account particulars to which the fee can be made.
“Mrs Umar also called me about the payment. The money was paid from the Portal Realities Limited Wema Bank account into her account,” the witness stated.
On 9 July, the EFCC arraigned Mr Umar earlier than the FCT High Court in Abuja on expenses of receiving gratification involving about N15.6 million from CCT’s contractors between 2021 and 2024.
Mr Umar, whose tenure spanned July 2011 to November 2024, allegedly acquired monetary inducements from contractors by way of deposits into his spouse’s checking account and thru the settlement of his youngsters’s school fees at Baze University, Abuja.
The anti-corruption company alleged that Kurchmives International Limited, a subcontractor below the contract awarded by the CCT to Momanaf Global Ventures Limited for the portray of the tribunal’s headquarters, despatched N5 million to his spouse, Zulaihatu Umar’s Zenith Bank account on 5 October 2021.
It additionally alleged that Portal Realities Limited, a sister firm of JTF Global Links Limited, an organization awarded the contract for the digitalisation of CCT’s administration information, despatched N6 million to Mrs Umar’s account on 25 January 2024.
The prosecution additionally said within the expenses that Portal Realities Limited paid over N4 million for Mr Umar’s youngsters, Faiza and Yakubu, at Baze University.
These transactions, in keeping with the prosecution, constituted acts of corruption, involving a public officer utilizing his workplace or place to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair benefit upon himself or any relation or affiliate criminalised below part 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
‘How I paid ex-CCT chair’s youngsters’s school fees’
Mr Solomon, the primary prosecution witness, defined how he made funds for the school fees of Mr Umar’s youngsters.
The witness stated Mr Akonju referred to as him in October 2021 that Mr Umar requested that he learn to pay the school fees of two of his youngsters in Baze University, Abuja.
“I paid about N2 million for Yakubu Umar Danladi from the Portal Realities Limited account in Jaiz Bank to Baze University. I also paid school fees on behalf of Faiza Umar Danladi,” from the identical account.
Led in proof by EFCC’s lawyer Christopher Mshelia, the witness introduced the paperwork relating to the contract awarded by the CCT, chaired on the time by Mr Umar, to his firm, JTF Global Links Limited.
Cross-examination
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Edward Sunday, Mr Solomon confirmed that he had identified Mr Umar for greater than ten years.
He additionally acknowledged that he knew Mr Umar’s spouse and youngsters and might be thought-about as household buddies.
Responding to the defence lawyer’s suggestion that the N6 million paid into Mrs Umar’s account might be thought-about a mortgage, Mr Solomon stated, “There was no reason to give her a loan because I did not have that discussion with her.”
He additionally confirmed that he didn’t disclose.
He acknowledged a switch of N3 million from Mrs Umar into his enterprise account with Zenith Bank on 16 February 2024 however confirmed the transaction was omitted from his assertion to the EFCC.
On how he was requested to pay for Mr Umar’s school fees, Mr Solomon stated he acquired the directive from Mr Akonji, the CCT official, however by no means cross-checked with Mr Umar.
“Based on the relationship I have with him and the beneficiaries sent to me are the people I am familiar with,” the prosecution witness stated.
He additionally disclosed that Portal Realities Limited, by means of which he paid the fees, was not awarded any contract by the CCT.
Witness solutions questions on relationship with Umar, qualification
Earlier, Mr Solomon instructed the courtroom that CCT awarded a contract to JTF Global Links Limited on 22 September 2021, after submitting the corporate’s profile to the tribunal.
Responding to the defence lawyer’s suggestion below cross-examination that he requested to be awarded the contract, Mr Solomon stated, “Based on my relationship with Mr Umar, he asked me to meet Mr Akonji, whom I submitted my company profile to. Mr Akonji called me on the 18th (no month stated) to come for a financial bid.”
The witness, who stated he’s registered and has all the required paperwork “for bidding according to the laws of Nigeria,” maintained that the paperwork he submitted for the CCT contract confirmed that “I am qualified to be awarded the contract,” pushing again a suggestion that he received the contract based mostly on his relationship with Mr Umar.
READ ALSO: Court grants ex-CCT chairman, Danladi Umar, N100 million bail
He stated he couldn’t record different entities who bidded for the contract as a result of, in keeping with him, he was “not part of the tenders board.”
He additionally instructed the courtroom that Mr Akonji served as the present procurement director for the CCT.
The witness stated, earlier than the CCT contract, he had executed contracts for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), and Katsina State Government.
Defence lawyer, who described a few of Mr Solomon’s claims as an afterthought, sought to confront him with his extrajudicial assertion.
But he couldn’t proceed with that line of cross-examination after it was realised that there was no licensed true copy of the witness’ extrajudicial assertion in courtroom.
The choose, Peter Kekemeke, then adjourned the matter till 20 January 2027 for the prosecution to furnish the defence with the licensed true copy of the assertion.
Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, below which Mr Umar was charged criminalises the act of public officers who use their workplace to confer undue benefit on themselves, buddies or household.
The offence attracts seven years’ imprisonment upon conviction.
But Mr Umar denied all of the allegations.
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