Mr Mubarak Isa, an Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) witness, has informed a Federal Excessive Court docket (FHC) in Abuja that Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, quick previous Head of Service (HoS), didn’t get rid of a property she owned had made public in her asset declaration type.
Isa, an Assistant Chief Inspector of EFCC, informed Decide James Omotosho on Friday whereas testifying because the seventh prosecution witness (PW7) within the ongoing allegation of fraud as opposed to Oyo-Ita and others.
The PW7 informed the courtroom that he made the invention when he joined a crew of different EFCC investigators comprising Hamma Bello and Rukkayat Ibrahim to analyze the ex-HoS.
In accordance with the witness, Oyo-Ita accomplished a wealth declaration someday in 2019, which was witnessed by Mr Tahir Mamman on the EFCC workplace.
”In the course of the investigation, we found that non-public accounts at First Metropolis Monument Financial institution, Warranty Belief Financial institution, ECOBANK; Frontline Ace International Ltd and Asanaya Initiatives Ltd's accounts at Zenith and Constancy Banks, all linked to Oyo-Ita, weren’t disclosed within the type.
“Evaluation of those accounts revealed that Asanaya Initiatives had paid a multi-purpose infrastructure improvement firm.
“This necessitated an interview with the Managing Director, Mr. Emmanuel Obiri, and he disclosed that he had met with Oyo-Ita, who expressed curiosity in proudly owning a property in Lagos as a fallback post-retirement.
“A complete cost of N65 million was made by different corporations for 2 numbers of four-bedroom terraces and two numbers of outlets all in Lagos at a value of N94 million.
“These properties had been additionally not talked about on the asset declaration type,” the witness informed the courtroom.
When requested throughout cross-examination if he knew that Oyo-Ita was neither a director nor a shareholder of the 2 corporations he talked about, the witness informed the courtroom that he didn’t know.
EFCC counsel, Halidu Mohammed, tried to supply the cost sheet as proof within the case, which was not opposed by the protection legal professionals, and Justice Omotosho admitted it into proof.
Earlier, Mr Marvis Enabulele, an worker of Constancy Financial institution and the sixth prosecution witness (PW6), informed the courtroom that the financial institution by no means reported any criminality on the account Oyo-Ita maintained with them.
Enabulele, who submitted each the Oyo-Ita and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd account statements into proof, mentioned correct process had been adopted within the opening of the accounts.
The witness additional informed the courtroom that he generated the paperwork by downloading the account assertion from the financial institution's system after which ready an ID.
The decide admitted all paperwork submitted as proof and adjourned the case till January 23 and 26 for continuation of the listening to.
The Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) studies that Oyo-Ita and her co-defendants had been charged by the anti-graft company on January 18, 2023, on 18 counts of N3 billion graft.
She was charged alongside along with her particular assistant, Ubong Effiok; Frontline Ace International Providers Restricted; Asanaya Initiatives Ltd; Garba Umar and his corporations, Slopes Worldwide Ltd and Gooddeal Investments Ltd.
Different defendants embody U & U International Providers Ltd, owned by Mr Effiok, and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd.
They had been all charged for alleged fraud regarding the enterprise journey allowance (DTA), estacodes, convention charges and receiving kickbacks for contracts.
The suspects all pleaded not responsible to the costs.
NAN studies that Oyo-Ita and her co-defendants had been beforehand tried by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of a sister courtroom earlier than he retired in July 2022.
They had been arraigned earlier than Justice Taiwo on March 23, 2020 on the identical cost.
