Witness gives details of how former PDP chairman got N300 million from Dasuki
– Bello is in court with his son and their company
– He is accused of receiving N300m from Dasuki
– Witness denies knowledge of why the fund was transferred
As more revelations continue to rock the billions of dollars allegedly squandered by Nigeria’s former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, a witness has revealed how a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got N300 million.
Dr Haliru Mohammed in court weeks ago
The government recently said the misappropriated fund was not $2.1 billion but $15 billion. This is about N300 billion.
Yazidu Ibrahim, an account officer at the office of the national security adviser, told a federal high court in Abuja, the country’s capital city, how he was asked to transfer N300 million into an account belonging to a company owned by Haliru Bello, who led the party then in power.
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Ibrahim, a witness in the trial of Bello, his son, Abba, and their company, Bam Project and Properties Limited, said he received a written instruction on a piece of paper to prepare a payment mandate for BAM to the tune of N300 million, according to a report by Gistmania.
The witness told the court that the piece of paper had the account name, number, amount to be paid, and the reason for the payment.
He said the reason stated in the piece of paper indicated ‘payment for safe houses’.
He also disclosed that there were two signatories on the payment mandate. He gave the name as Sambo Dasuki, and Salisu Yushau, the director of finance and administration.
Ibrahim said: “After they have signed the paper, I would also sign before taking it to the bank (Central Bank of Nigeria).”
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He told the court that documents to be presented for such payments include: contract documents, contract agreements, signature of the contractor and voucher.
“After the documents had been presented, I would prepare the payment mandate which would be passed to the NSA and DFA for signing before taking it to the bank for payment,” he told the court.
While under cross-examination by counsel to the first defendant, Solomon Umoh, Ibrahim said he was not aware of any contract between the defendants and Dasuki’s office and that he was not in any position to know why the money was transferred.
Further cross-examination of the witness has been moved to June, 1, 2016.
Many officials who served in the government of Goodluck Jonathan are currently either being tried or investigated for their roles in the missing fund.
The former national security adviser, who has been detained since December 2015, was also ordered by the court to make out his case against government challenging his detention.
The ECOWAS court gave the order on Tuesday, May 17, while hearing Dasuki’s suit challenging his alleged unlawful detention, unlawful seizure of properties and infringement on his fundamental rights to freedom of liberty.
The post Witness gives details of how former PDP chairman got N300 million from Dasuki appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM (Nigerian newspapers).