By EDITH NWAPI

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an Abuja high court on Monday tendered the statement made to it by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the trial of Dr Olu Agunloye.

Agunloye, a former Minister of Power and Steel is charged infractions in the award of contract for Mambilla Hydropower Station in Taraba.

Agunloye is standing trial on an a seven-count charge bordering on forgery, disobeying presidential directive and gratification brought against him before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, of Apo high court.

In the charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/617/2023, EFCC alleged that Agunloye awarded contract for the Mambilla project on May 22, 2003 to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) without any budgetary provision, approval and cash backing.

The commission also alleged that the former minister received N5.212million from SPTCL and Leno Adesanya, through Jide Abiodun Sotirin through his Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) account to “convey” the Federal Government’s approval for the construction of the Mambilla power project in favour of SPTCL while serving as minister.

The former minister, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.

At the resumed hearing of the case , the third prosecution witness (PW3), Umar Hussein Babangida, an Assistant Commissioner of Police on secondment to EFCC told the court that former president Obasanjo, wrote a letter, dated Nov. 27, 2023, to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice .

He added that in the letter, he gave account of what transpired at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of May 21, 2003 concerning the power project contract.

The witness said that EFCC subsequently wrote to the Federal Ministry of Justice, requesting for the Certified True Copy CTC) of the former president’s letter, which the ministry obliged the commission.

“We received the CTV of the document where the former president stated that he received a memorandum from the former Minister of Power.

He added that and he minuted on the document, directing minister to submit a memo to the Federal Executive Council for deliberation.

He said but, he did not give approval to the minister for the award of the contract and neither was approval given at FEC meeting of May 21, 2003.”

The witness further informed the court that in the cause of the investigation, the commission’s investigating team, met with Obasanjo.

“We interviewed the former president and he later made a statement.

“In the cause of the interview, Obasanjo told us that he did not give approval to the defendant to award the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station to SPTCL,” he said.

The prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed SAN, then tendered the former president’s statement as an exhibit in the case.

The defendant’s counsel, Samuel Fagade, who represented the lead counsel, Adeola Adedipe SAN, objected to the document though he did not state the grounds of object.

He, however, told the court that he was reserving it for the final argument in the case.

The former president’s statement was temporarily admitted as an exhibit by the court.

Giving the summary of their interview session with the former president, Babangida told the court that Obasanjo told the investigating team that the former minister was directed by the FEC meeting of May 21, 2003 to withdraw his memorandum.

He added that the team was further told by Obasanjo that the letter issued on May 22, 2003 by the then minister of power awarding the contract to SPTCL was not on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The witness further told the court that the investigating team then reviewed Agunloye’s financial records and discovered that he (defendant) operated several bank accounts, including one with the GT Bank.

He Informed the court that Agunloye received money through his GT Bank account from one Sotirin Jide Abiodun.

He said he was a domestic personal assistant to Leno Laitan Adesanya as well as staff member of companies belonging to Adesanya and a director in Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited.

According to the witness, Sotirin Abiodun transferred the sums of N3.6million; N500,000 and N1.1million to Agunloye’s account on Aug. 10, 2019, Oct. 22, 2019 and Nov. 13, 2019 respectively.

Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned until June 18 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)

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