An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s investigating
officer Shehu Shuaibu, on Thursday, told a Federal High Court in Lagos that the
N4.6bn allegedly transferred into a Joint Trust account was used to finance the
2015 presidential campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
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.
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.
The witness admitted that the first defendant, Usman, was the Director of Finance for President Jonathan’s Campaign Organisation, while the second defendant, Fani-Kayode, was the Director, Media and Publicity of the organisation.
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, “No, we did not invite him, since the President was not the one
that expended the money.”
When asked whether those that transferred money into the
joint trust account were arrested and prosecuted, he said, “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 today (Friday) for
the continuation of the trial.
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