Jonathan’s cousin got $40m from NNPC, not ONSA account- Witness

rial of cousin to  former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Azibaola Robert, and his wife, Stella, resumed at the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, with the star witness, Ibrahim Mahe, insisting that only the detained National Security Adviser, NSA , Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), could explain why the defendants were awarded $40 million pipeline security contract. The witness said the contract was awarded to OnePlus Holdings Limited, a firm that belongs to the defendants. Mahe, who recently retired as Permanent Secretary, Special Services Operations, SSO, at the Office of the NSA, told the trial court that OnePlus Holdings Limited was paid $40 million from $600m special security fund he said was sourced from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. The defendants are answering to a seven-count criminal charge preferred against them by the  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The anti-graft agency alleged that they conspired “to commit an illegal act to wit: money laundering of the sum of $40million transferred to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited with Zenith Bank, Account No. 5070365750 from the account of ONSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria upon a mandate Ref. No. 128/S.5LX/139 purporting to be for the supply of Tactical Communication Kits for Special Services and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.” Trial  Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had in a ruling on June 8 granted them bail to the tune of N1 billion. The couple were directed to deposit N500 million each, as well as produce two sureties in the like sum. Meanwhile, under cross-examination by counsel to the defendants, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, the witness said he served only eleven months in ONSA, admitting that while he was there, other firms also got security contracts in excess of the $40m that was approved for Oneplus. The witness however could not tell the court names of the other firms he said benefitted from the $600m special security fund from the NNPC. According to him, the ONSA maintained Naira, Dollar and Euro security accounts. More so, the witness told the court that before the defendants’ firm was credited with the $40m, he said at least nine officials in the office of the NSA minuted on the payment warrant. The retired permanent secretary who admitted that he was the one that effected the payment, said he paid OnePlus based on the conviction that the firm’s security contract met due process requirements, having been endorsed by nine top officials of the ONSA. Mahe told the court that the ONSA was not in the habit of advertising security contracts, saying for security purposes, certain security contracts could be given codenames. Besides, the witness denied being part of any bidding process for the procurement of security gadgets. He said  his responsibility only entailed disbursing monies already approved for security contracts. Mahe had at the last adjourned date told the court that the ex-NSA, Dasuki, instructed him to prepare a payment mandate of $40m in favour of OnePlus Limited. He maintained that it was Dasuki that endorsed a memo to him with details of the company’s account. However, the defendants’ lawyer, Uche, SAN, sought for an adjournment to enable the defence team to cross-examine the 2nd  prosecution witness, Mr Olabode Fanilola who tendered the bank account statement from Zenith Bank Plc.  Justice Dimgba subsequently adjourned further hearing on the matter to  October 6, 7 and 19.
SOURCE:Ikechukwu Nnochiri