An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Tosin Owobo yesterday l told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos how a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Adesola Amosu, and two other Air force Chief, diverted the sum of N3 billion paid to it by the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
According to the witness, the money was paid into the Nigerian Air Force account in response to a request made to the then Director General of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi by Air Marshall Amosu for assistance on maritime security.
Amosu, was arraigned on June 29 this year by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside two senior serving Air Force officers, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun and Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga and seven companies before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Companies named in the charge are Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Mcallan Oil And Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey Ltd, Deegee Oil and Gas Ltd, Timsegg Investment Ltd and Solomon Health Care Ltd.
The EFCC accused the them of conspiracy, stealing, money laundering, concealing of proceeds of crime and conversion of funds belonging to the Nigerian Airforce to their personal use around March 5, 2014 in Lagos.
However, the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumption of trial the defendants Owobo an Assistant Detective Superintendent with the EFCC told the court that after Akpobolokemi approved the payment of the N3b, the money was released in three tranches of N1bn each between August and September 2014.
The witness said, “It was released to a Nigerian Airforce (NAF) Special Emergency Operations Account because NAF had sent as part of a memorandum of understanding between the Airforce and NIMASA, the account they wanted the money to be paid into.
“The letter was signed by the Director of Accounts, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun who is the Second defendant in this case”.
“The sum of N1bn and N480m was earlier paid by NIMASA to the Nigerian Airforce under the leadership of Air Chief Alex Badeh in 2013 as a result of this same memo of understanding”.
The prosecution witness testified further that as the money entered the NAF special account, it was further transferred to various oil and gas companies which had accounts also domiciled with the same bank.
Owobo “We wrote letters of investigation to the bank requesting the statements of accounts of these oil and gas companies and received bundles of documents on the accounts”.
“The oil companies involved are Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Mcallan Oil And Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, all of whom are named in the charge sheet,” he said.
Although the defence team did not object to the tendering of the bank statements and other communications received from the bank, they however objected to the attempts by the witness to refer to the documents.
The lawyer led by Bolaji Ayorinde insisted that since Owobo is not the make of the documents he can not refer or give evidence on it.
The prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, while urging the court to allow the witness to continue his testimony agued that as the investigative officer the witness has a duty to give an account of his findings using all the documents available to him.
The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris had fixed today (Thursday) for ruling on the objection.
