I Can’t Remember Number Of My Bank Accounts I Have, Former Federal Perm Sec Tells Court
A former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Clement Iloh on Friday told a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja that he cannot remember the number of bank accounts that he has.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Iloh before the court on October 16, 2017 on a three count charge of stealing by converting property in the sum of N14 million belonging to the federal government to personal use.
The defendant allegedly supervised numerous programmes such as the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, awarded fictitious contracts to himself, using his personal company and friends.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The former Permanent Secretary while being cross-examine by the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo on Friday denied collecting various funds from contractors and other sources through his late special assistant.
When was then confronted with a certified true copy of the statement of his personal account with ASO Savings and Loans Plc, which he identified as his, he claimed that he does not know the source of the 8 million naira which was transferred into his account on the 16th July, 2014.
Iloh, who was testifying in his own defence, said, “As far as I can remember now, I have an account with Zenith Bank. I don’t have an account with ASO because I have closed the account.
The prosecutor then asked him to explain the source of the N50 million moved in tranches of N10 million each from the said account, Iloh admitted that there were movements but said he cannot explain the source at the moment. “If I have had it earlier, I would have known.”
The accused person was also unable to explain the sources of other monies found in the account,: N100 million received in his account on 20th December, 2013 in tranches of 20 million as well as another N100 million received in his account on 17th February, 2014.
At that point, the defence counsel, Uwana objected to the line of questioning, he accused the prosecutor of asking questions not related to the charge before the court.
Uwana also argued that his opposing counsel should not have raised the issue of a forfeiture case resolved at the Federal High court in suit number FHC/L/1128/2017 when trying to use affidavit evidence sworn to and signed by John Tsako, the late special assistant to his client.
According to him, the matter was settled between the defendant and EFCC, he cannot bring it to discredit him now.
But Oyedepo urged the trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo to dismiss the objection on the grounds that his job as the prosecutor is to discredit the defence witness.
He pointed out that the accused person had claimed during his evidence-in-chief that he gave his special assistant who is now deceased money to handle in respect of the said workshop.
The prosecutor maintained, “this witness has raised an alibi for the first time in the box, he said he had not at anytime mentioned that he gave John money.
After listening to the lawyers, the judge admitted the evidence in contention and adjourned the matter to December 11 for continuation of trial.
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