Justice Husseini Baba of the FCT High Court today, March 13,2014, admitted in evidence, Certificate of Identification of Statement of Account and Cheques obtained from First Bank Nigeria Plc by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the ongoing trial of seven persons who are alleged to have stolen N24 billion of Police pension fund.
The documents contain forensic analyses of statement of accounts of the police pension office which revealed how a total of 400 cheques were cashed on a single day. These were labelled as Exhibits P6, P6A and P6B respectively.
Further attempt by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, to tender a third proof of evidence was rejected by Justice Baba.
It will be recalled that at last hearing on Tuesday 11th March, prosecution witness, Mustapha Sani Gadanya, told the court how the seven accused persons between August 2007 and May 2011 fraudulently withdrew a sum of N24 billion from the accounts of the police pension office domiciled in First Bank of Nigeria plc. But the attempt by the prosecution to tender evidence of the withdrawal met with opposition from the defendants, prompting the trial judge to reserve ruling on the defendants’ objection for March 13.
The seven accused persons are Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Uzoma Cyril Attang and Christian Madubuke. The accused persons were arraigned on an amended 20-count charge that borders on criminal breach of trust and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 315 of the Penal code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria 2007.
Justice Baba adjourned the case to 21st and 22nd of May, 2014 for continuation of trial.
