From Our Correspondent
A contractor, Olugbenga Obadina, on Monday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja that payments made to his company, was neither meant for installation of power plant in Yobe State nor for any power project whatsoever.
TheNewsZenith reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Obadina and his company, Almond Projects Limited, on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, official corruption and money laundering.
EFCC is prosecuting them for receiving payments from the Office of the National Security Adviser, (NSA) on November 28, 2015. The payments were made without any contractual agreement.
The anti-graft agency told the court, presided over by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, that the defenders also laundered N2.17 billion.
They allegedly received the amount from the Office of the National Security Adviser under retired Col Sambo Dasuki on Nov. 28, 2015 for doing nothing.
”Neither was Obadina scheduled to do anything on behalf of the federal government.”
Under cross-examination based on Obadina’s evidence-in-chief, prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Buba asked the defendant to identify the project for which payments were made to his company.
Specifically, prosecution counsel asked him to state if the payment was for the purpose of installing a power plant in Yobe State. Obadina, however, answered in the negative.
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“My lord, with reference to payments in the document that is written, particularly to the Almond project, no site was mentioned in the description.
“No location was mentioned in any of the descriptions my lord,” he said.
“Yes, none of these payments was made for the installation of solar in the state,” the defendant Obadina answered.
Citing the defendant’s extra-judicial statement, marked Exhibit GO1, 1-9, prosecution counsel said there was nowhere in the statement in which he specifically mentioned a particular area in Yobe State where he executed project.
Although the defendant contested the claim, he said he mentioned a site outside Damataru, the state capital.
But he could not point to it in his statement when challenged by the prosecution counsel to do so.
There was no re-examination from the defence. Justice Dimgba, then adjourned the matter till May 30 and 31 for continuation of trial.
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