EFCC Reveals Why Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan Was Not Invited for Questioning
- The trial of former associates of ex-President Dr Goodluck Jonathan have resumed in a Federal High Court in Lagos
- The trial is about alleged N4.6bn money laundering, which was allegedly transferred to a joint trust account to finance the presidential campaign of Jonathan
- It was revealed that the Special Task Force of the EFCC, did not invite former President Jonathan throughout their investigation
Lagos - An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s investigating officer Shehu Shuaibu, on Thursday, October 27 told a Federal High Court in Lagos that N4.6billion allegedly transferred into a joint trust account was used to finance the 2015 campaign of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
Punch newspaper reports that Shuaibu stated this while testifying before Justice Daniel Osiagor in the trial of former minister of finance, Senator Nenadi Usman; former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and two others over alleged money laundering and other fraud-related offences.
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According to the report, during cross-examination by Usman’s counsel, Mr Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), he said his team from the Special Task Force of the EFCC, did not invite former President Jonathan throughout their investigation.
Asked why he did not invite Jonathan to confirm or deny if the money paid into the Joint Trust account was expended for his campaign or not, he said:
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“No, we did not invite him, since the president was not the one that expended the money.”
“To the best of my knowledge, I do not know whether those that transferred money into the joint trust account were charged in court or not. I am not a lawyer, and would not know why they have not been charged before the court.”
The witness further disclosed that the money was paid from the State House to the NEA Account before it was transferred into the joint trust account.
He noted that the money was paid by the Permanent Secretary, State House, Nebolisa Emodi, and that he was invited for interrogation by his team but not charged to court.
Justice Osiagor adjourned the case till Friday, October 28 for the continuation of the trial.
Proceeds of crime: Court issues verdict on EFCC case against APC governor
Meanwhile, the EFCC has been told that it lacks the power and right to prosecute Governor Bello Matawalle based on his immunity granted by section 308 of the 1999 constitution.
This was the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja read by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Friday, October 14.
The court advised the commission to wait until the Zamfara governor leaves office before arraigning him in court.
N480billion fraud allegation against me is false, says Umana Umana
On his part, the minister of Niger Delta affairs, Mr Umana Okon Umana, has dismissed as false and totally baseless, a series of allegations made against him, including a claim of N480 billion fraud.
In rejecting the false allegations made by professional petition writers to the National Assembly, Umana said no fraud has been committed under his watch in the ministry and that no money has been released or expended on the projects cited in the petition.
The minister explained that in line with his directive at the last meeting of the National Council, adjustments had been made in the 2022 budget proposals of the NDDC to accommodate core regional infrastructure projects based on a new template for the development of the Niger Delta.
Source: Legit.ng
