Witness narrates how 2 NDDC executives laundered N3.6bn
Our reporter
A prosecution witness from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has told a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, how two officials working for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) used their companies to transfer hundreds of millions of naira to his company’s accounts.
Led in evidence in chief by the prosecution counsel, Ekene Iheanacho, the witness, Eyo Bassey Francis, a subway developer and contractor, said he designed an online platform for the NDDC and executed contracts on behalf of the commission in states like Akwa Ibom, Imo and Abia.
He named his companies he used to obtain the contracts from NDDC and transfer the sums of money as he was directed by the officials to include, Romfel Network Limited, Asalidrren Global Limited and CollegePro Synergy Nigeria Limited.
The witness also claimed that apart from executing contracts and subway development, he also did a lot of importation of materials for his companies and therefore sourced for forex for the procurement of goods from abroad.
Asked if he knew one of the officials, the third defendant, Francis Momoh and his company, Building Associates, the witness said he only got to know him when they met at the EFCC office.
Describing how the various sums of money were transferred to his accounts in 2014 and 2015 respectively, Bassey said he was called sometime in 2014 by Momoh, who told him that some money would be transferred into his account with Heritage Bank.
“After that call, an initial N80 million was paid into my company’s (Asalidrren Global Consultants) account. I procured dollars with it and disbursed the money to some beneficiaries as directed by Tuoyo Omotsuli, the first defendant.
“Also, in 2014 I got another sum amounting to N340 million in two tranches of N160 million and N180 million which l then converted to dollars and thereafter, handed over the amount to the executive director and managing director of NDDC,” he added.
Under cross examination by defence counsel, Prof. Amudah Kehinde (SAN), Bassey denied ever been issued with receipts for the payments he received, adding that he had no idea of the account of the first defendant, but agreed that he bidded for contracts from NDDC.
Counsel to Momoh, Mr. Norris Quakers (SAN) while cross examining the witness demanded to know how he got to know about the Youth Development Programme conducted by the NDDC from which he allegedly made over N190 million and how he acquired a property worth N75 million if he wasn’t a contractor with NDDC.
While adjourning further trial to April 11 and 12, 2019, Justice Saidu rebuked the witness for leaving his bank accounts open for NDDC officials to siphon public funds when there are official ways agencies of government conduct their financial transactions.
Omotsuli is standing trial with Momoh and two of their companies, Parkers Property and Building Associates having been arraigned late last year by the EFCC over allegations of N3.6 billion fraud.
