A witness in an ongoing trial has told the Federal High Court in Abuja, how he allegedly handed over $15.8million to a former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, at his residence in Maitama, Abuja.
Suswam alongside a former Commissioner for Finance in his administration, Omadachi Oklobia, are being prosecuted for an alleged N3.1 billion money laundering charge.
The duo were accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of diverting the money alleged to be proceeds of sale of shares owned by the state government for personal use.
Testifying at the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the witness, Mr Umar, under cross-examination, told the court that he was pressurized to change his statement by Mr Suswam’s associates, as they threatened to harm him and his family, if he didn’t oblige.
The EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, concluded the cross-examination of Mr Umar by virtue of the fact that he had been declared a hostile witness by the anti-graft agency, citing his perceived uncooperative attitude towards the prosecution.
This followed an application by Mr Jacobs who urged the court to declare Mr Umar hostile after the witness contradicted himself while testifying in the case on May 5, 2016.
Mr Umar, however, told the court that he was asked to change his statement only with respect to who he gave the dollar equivalent of N3.1 billion and the said ocation he gave the money.
Stressing that only God was his witness, the witness further told the court that he handed over 15.8 million dollars to Mr Suswam at his Maitama residence.
Following the conclusion of the cross-examination of the witness, the prosecuting counsel asked to recall the witness to give evidence with regards to the amended charge in respect of the matter.
The application was however granted, following the withdrawal of an earlier objection from Joseph Daudu, SAN, and Paul Erokoro, SAN, both counsel to Mr Suswam and Mr Oklobia.
Recalling, the witness told the court that he had no relationship with Benue Government and that he had never done business with the government before.
When asked if he was willing to proceed with cross examination of the witness, Mr Daudu told the court that he needed time.
“The witness has been in the witness box for the past three years. To save time, we need to go back and sift the grain from the chaff so that we can cross-examine him in one day,” Mr Daudu told the court.
In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned the matter until May 25 for the defence to cross-examine the witness.
