The
trial of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh
and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, continued on Thursday, November 3, 2016
before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama,
Abuja with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
presenting its eight witness, Eso Faleke, for cross-examination.
Faleke,
a banker with Guaranty Trust Bank and account officer to Badeh’s
company account (Iyalikam Nigeria Limited) had in her evidence on
November 2, narrated how Badeh became a co-signatory to the company’s
account in January 2015 and how he gave instructions to carry out
several transactions running into millions of naira.
The
witness, who was cross-examined by Akin Olujimi and Samuel O. Zibiri,
SAN, representing Badeh and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited respectively,
insisted that she received several instructions from Badeh through
telephone and in writing, to transfer funds to several accounts
especially Naira and Dollar accounts.
The
witness while commenting on exhibit E25 and E30 explained that though
exhibit E30 carried a lone signature, it contained telephone
instructions because the telephone number was on the mandate card of the
authorized signatory.
According to her, the mandate card was not for instruction as to how to receive telephone calls.
Faleke insisted that she acted according to the standard procedure of the bank with respect to documentary transaction.
Speaking
on exhibits E3 to E7 (the statements of account), Faleke told the court
that payments can be made via deposit slip adding that the payments
therein were made in cash via deposit slip, but that she did not come to
court with them having not been requested to do so.
Justice Okon Abang, thereafter, adjourned to November 14, 2016 for continuation of trial.
Badeh
is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside his company, Iyalikam Nigeria
Limited, for allegedly abusing his office by using the dollar
equivalent of the sum of N1.4billion (One Billion, Four Hundred Million
Naira) removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, to
purchase properties in choice areas of Abuja between January and
December, 2013.
The
offence contravenes Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3)
of the same Act.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
3rd November, 2016
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