Witness receives death threats to change statement in Suswam’s fraud trial

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) star witness on Monday said he received several telephone calls from different people asking him to change the statement he made with the anti-graft agency against Senator Gabriel Suswam, the former governor of Benue state.

An Abuja-based Bureau De Change (BDC) Operator, Abubakar Umar, stated this before Justice Okon Abang at the Federal High Court, Abuja, while giving his evidence-in-chief.

Sen. Suswam and the then Commissioner for Finance in his administration, Omadachi Oklobia are being prosecuted on a N3.1 billion money laundering charge.

They were accused by the EFCC of diverting the money which was said to be part of the proceeds of the sale of some shares of Benue state in some companies.

At the resumed trial on Monday, the EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, asked Umar to tell the court what he meant by the earlier oral evidence in the previous proceeding that he was receiving phone calls from people to change his statement.

The witness, who spoke through an interpreter, said: “Yes, that is how it is. Many people have been calling me so that I will change my statement on my master, Gabriel Suswam.”

Jacobs also asked him “what is your discussion with Suswam your master?” and Umar responded thus: “He (Gabriel Suswam) called me and said that I should go to his lawyer, Joseph Daudu.  When I reached J.B. Daudu, he asked me why I wrote statement like this. 

“I now told him to ask the person that sent me to him, Gabriel Suwam. He said I should go since it is like this.”

The witness restated that he told the court that N413 million was the first amount that entered his Zenith Bank account, Fanffash Resources from Elixir Investment. 

“I was not having much money in my account before the money came in and it takes me eight to 10 days to change the money into dollars before handling it to Suswam.

“On September 12, 2014, N637 million was paid into Fanffash Resource account. After one to two hours, N363 million entered again on the same day,” he said.

The witness said he later bought dollars with the money and called the former governor before taking the money to him, adding that he usually called Suswam to tell him that the money was ready before taking the money to him.

He also told the court that the reason he usually delivered the money to Suswam alone and without any other person present was because it was the former governor that directed that the money be paid into his account and who instructed him to bring the money.

Thereafter, counsel to Suswam, Chinelo Ogbozor, tendered the previous proceeding document from Justice Ahmed Mohammed before Justice Abang and asked Umar if he remembered giving evidence before Justice Mohammed.

Justice Abang, after admitting the photocopy of the certified true copy of previous proceeding documents before Justice Mohammad in evidence, adjourned the matter until February 4 -5 for further cross- examination, re-examination of the witness and continuation of trial.