We Didn’t Force Former FCT Minister, Others To Make Extrajudicial Statements -EFCC
An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Usman Zakari on Monday told Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos that the commission does not torture or forced suspects to make a statement during investigation.
Zakari, stated this while testifying in a trial within trial being conducted by the judge to determine admissibility of the extrajudicial statements made by former Federal Capital Territory minister Ms Jumoke Akinjide and her co-accused.
Akinjide had alleged that the five extrajudicial statements she made to the EFCC during investigation was not obtained voluntarily by her investigators.
The same claim was also made by the other defendants in the case: a former Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District Ayo Adeseun, and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Oyo State Chief Olarenwaju Otiti.
The former Minister, and her co-accused are standing trial before the court on a 24-count charge of alleged N650 million fraud.
The accused persons were also accused of conspiring to directly take possession of N650million, which they reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.
According to the EFCC, they allegedly received the money from Mrs Alison-Madueke in the build- up to the 2015 general election.
The money was said to be part of a larger sum of $115 million allegedly doled out by Mrs. Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
However, they all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
While being led in evidence by prosecuting counsel Nnaemeka Omenwa, who stood in for Oyedepo, Zakari denied that the defendants were not forced to make a statement.
The EFCC official insisted that when Adeseun reported at the commission on May 11, 2016, he agreed to make a statement only in his lawyer’s presence.
“We had to wait for his lawyer to come before he made statements. The following day, the second defendant made a statement voluntarily in the presence of his lawyer,” he said.
The witness said Adeseun was granted bail but could not fulfil the conditions, prompting EFCC to obtain a remand order from a Magistrates Court.
“At the expiration of the remand warrant, he was released to his nephew, a pharmacist who bore the same surname,” Zakari said.
Zakari said Otiti reported at EFCC on December 1, 2016, during which she was interviewed and cautioned.
“After the interview, she volunteered her statement in the presence of her friend. She was granted bail on self-cognisance. She asked to be allowed to go home so she could come up with a list of people she disbursed part of the N650million to. She was not detained.
“In her next reporting date, she came with a list of beneficiaries to whom she disbursed over N90million.
“The second and third defendants’ statements were devoid of any promise, threat or duress.
“The statements were made in the Conference room. It’s a big hall, not a torture chamber. We don’t torture, we don’t threaten. We investigate economic and financial crimes, not violent crimes,” he said.
Zakari said Adeseun also submitted a list of people he shared money to out of the money he received from Akinjide.
“As far as I can say, the second and third defendants volunteered their statements willingly,” the witness said.
Justice Hassan adjourned until Tuesday for continuation of cross-examination of Zakari.
