The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 opened trial with two witnesses - Umar
Dalhatu and Abdulkadir
Saidu- in a case of alleged bribery involving Abumere
Joseph Osagie, a former deputy director, Federal Inland Revenue, FIRS, and one Jamila Ojora before Justice O. O. Goodluck of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
Dalhatu and Saidu while being led in evidence by
counsel to EFCC, Joseph Uzor, as PW1 and PW2 respectively gave detailed account
of how the accused persons conspired to obtain a sum of N5million as
gratification from the Pro-chancellor, Base University, Senator Datti Ahmed.
The accused persons claim the money was meant to
appreciate their services for “arranging tax assessment” for the university.
The act contravenes Section 17(1)(a) and punishable under Section 17(1)(c) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
In his evidence, Dalhatu, a bursar at Baze
University, told the court that, some of his core duties were to keep records of financial
transactions of the University,
pay salaries, liase with regulating bodies like FIRS, NUC among others.
Narrating how Osagie and his accomplice, Ojora,
collected the money Dalhatu said,”I joined the University on November 9, 2015. That time,
I was made to understand that the tax assessment and audit exercise had been concluded.
The registrar told me to go to FIRS and see Jamila
and Mr.
Osagie. I contacted them, went to their office and arrange for the Pro-chancellor (Senator Datti Waba Ahmed)
to meet with them.
“On December
20, 2015, I received
a text mesage from the Pro-Chancellor informing me that, Mr. Osagie was in the University on a familiarization tour. I conducted him
round the University. During the familiarisation tour, Osagie told me that, ‘you people’
have to appreciate us with the sum of N5million. I called the Pro-Chancellor and gave the phone to Osagie to
speak
with him.
“Two days after, the University recieved a letter of intent from
the FIRS to pay the sum of N20, 029, 496.00 (twenty million, twenty –nine thousand, four hundred and ninety-six naira). The money was paid in installments to
a UBA account”, Dalhatu stated.
The PW1 further stated that, “the
university requested for the
tax clearance,
but we were
not given.”
Asked why they were not given, Dalhatu said,
“the accused persons insisted that, we had to pay ‘appreciation fee’ before it can be issued.
“I reported to the
Pro-chancellor (Senator Ahmed) who called Mr.
Osagie on January 27, 2016. At about 4:30 pm that day, the Pro-Chancellor
instructed me to go to our accountant,
Mrs. Juliet
Oture, to collect
the sum of N5million
naira. I collected the money
and joined him (Senator Ahmed) in his car. While driving with him, he informed me that, he was taking the matter to the EFCC and
we drove straight
to the EFCC Head Office
at Wuse II”, Dalhatu narrated.
Also testifying, PW2, Saidu, who introduced himself as the personal assistant
to the Pro-chancellor, told the court how he was involved in handing over the
sum of N5million to Ojora at Sheraton Hotel car park, Wuse Zone 4.
According to Saidu, “I was called by the Pro-chancellor around 6.00pm on January
27, 2015 to come and meet him at the EFCC Head Office in order to run errand for him. When I got there, he gave me a multi-coloured medium size ‘Ghana-must-go’
bag containing the sum of N5million. He called Ojora on phone to inform her
that
I was coming. I met Ojora
at the left wing of the Sheraton
car park standing by her white Peugeot 408 car. She instructed me to drop the
money at the back seat of her car, which I did. She promised to call my boss to
confirm that she had recieved the money. Then,
I left.”
The
case has been adjourned
to June 13 and July 12, 2016 for further
hearing.
Wilson
Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
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