A cash sum of $1.3 million has been recovered from a former military officer who served as a member of Jon Ode led Presidentia Investigative Committee on Arms Procurement.
This was revealed before a Federal High Court in Abuja by federal government prosecutors who tendered the cash sum of $1.3 million recovered from a retired military officer identified as Air Commodore Umar Mohammed.
The arm probe panel was constituted by the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, in 2015 but was later unceremoniously disbanded over the activities of some of the members.
According to a report by PRNigeria, operatives of the Department of State Security Services, SSS, under its former boss, Lawal Daura had arrested Mr Mohammed in June 2016 over allegations of receiving a large sum of money from certain individuals and companies on behalf of members of the committee and a top official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, when Ibrahim Magu was the acting Chairman.
At the resumed trial, the prosecution counsel, Labaran Magaji tendered the cash as an exhibit along with various other currencies, with an explanation that they were recovered from the defendant’s possession.
The huge foreign currency was admitted as an exhibit after it was counted in the open courtroom with the aid of an electronic counting machine during the continuation of the trial of Commodore Mohammed for alleged fraud and money laundering charges.
However, the defence counsel Dr Hassan Liman SAN, thereafter cross-examined the prosecution witness Mr Stephen Olatubosun through whom the exhibit was tendered.
The senior lawyer thereafter informed the court of his client’s intention to file a no-case submission on the ground that a prima facie case has not been established against him.
Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo after listened to parties in the matter ordered the Chief Registrar of the federal high court to deposit the foreign currency with the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, pending the conclusion of the trial.
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