Taraba cashier describes funds disbursements through his private account as official payments

A Taraba State Government cashier instructed the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday that each one the transfers he made throughout former Governor Darius Ishaku’s tenure had been official payments.

The payments had been allegedly a part of the N27 billion, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused Mr Ishaku and his co-defendant, Bello Yero, then Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of Taraba State, of diverting from the state authorities’s coffers.

Mr Ishaku and his co-defendant denied EFCC’s fees.

Taiwo Jones, a cashier with the Taraba State Government, appeared in court docket on Monday to proceed his testimony as the third prosecution witness.

Since June, when he first took the stand as a prosecution witness, Mr Jones has detailed how he acquired funds from Taraba State native governments into the financial institution account of his firm P3 Cornerstone for onward disbursements to numerous beneficiaries following the directions of his superiors.

He mentioned some funds had been despatched to 2 of his private accounts.

However, underneath cross-examination by Mr Ishaku’s lawyer, Chris Umar, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on Monday, the witness famous that the transfers had been made in an official capability.

Reading from an announcement he made to the EFCC throughout the investigation, the witness mentioned, “All the payments being done by myself and John Columba are official payments approved by the then-Permanent Secretary.”

On Mr Umar’s prompting, the witness learn the assertion thrice, emphasising the phrases, “official payments.”

Transfers to different beneficiaries

Mr Jones confirmed that he made a number of transfers to different beneficiaries however insisted that such transfers had been based mostly on directives.

Some of the transactions included the switch of N7.5 million, N8 million, N2 million and N8 million to Ibrahim Saleh on 3 October 2018.

He mentioned Mr Saleh additionally acquired 4 transfers of N5 million, N1 million, N6 million and one other N1 million on 1 March 2019.

The witness mentioned Prince Emmanuel, additionally identified as Onwuzurike, who beforehand testified as a prosecution witness, acquired N10 million, N9 million, N5 million and N10 million on 9 August 2019. Mr Emmanuel beforehand testified about how he acquired cash through his account and withdrew it on the directives of Mr Yero.

Continuing his testimony, Mr Jones mentioned, on 20 August, Messrs Saleh and Emmanuel acquired N7 million, and made a cheque withdrawal of N8.7 million.

But Mr Jones mentioned he couldn’t give a complete of the funds he transferred based mostly on directions, “because of the volume of the transactions.”

He mentioned by no means reported the transactions to both the police or EFCC. According to him, there was no have to report the transactions as a result of he discovered nothing mistaken with the transactions.

Thereafter, trial choose Slyvanus Oriji adjourned the case to five November.

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Key testimonies from earlier hearings

Dare Lawal and Mr Emmanuel earlier testified within the trial as the primary and second prosecution witnesses, respectively.

In their separate testimonies, they gave particulars of their roles within the disbursements of funds over which which the EFCC is prosecuting former Governor Ishaku and Mr Yero.

Mr Lawal labored beforehand for former Governor Ishaku’s private enterprise earlier than serving as his private assistant throughout his governorship, and testified virtually all through final 12 months.

He testified elaborately on how he acquired thousands and thousands from varied state authorities officers, together with Mr Yero, on behalf of Mr Ishaku.

Testifying as the second prosecution witness in February, Mr Emmanuel, who alluded to his private relationship with Mr Yero, instructed the court docket that he acquired cash through his account and withdrew it on the directives of Mr Yero.