The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday commenced
Development Commission (NDDC), and three others over alleged N3.6billion
fraud at a Federal High Court in Lagos.
On November 8, 2018, the anti-graft agency had docked Omatsuli alongside
Don Parker Properties Ltd, Francis Momoh and Building Associates Ltd
before Justice Saliu Saidu on a 45-count charge bordering on the alleged
offence.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, EFCC called its first witness, Eyo Bassey
Francis, a software developer and contractor. Led in evidence by Ekele
Iheanacho, the EFCC counsel, the witness said he had executed contracts
for the NDDC as well as Akwa Ibom, Imo and Abia state governments.
He also narrated how huge sums of money were transferred to the account of
two of his companies by Omatsuli in 2014.
He said: “In 2014, while as a contractor with NDDC, I came in contact with
Mr. Tuoyo Omatsuli. In the course of our interaction, I told him that I
run an online platform and I do a lot of imports. I also told him that
because of my engagement in import, I was able to source for foreign
currencies.
“He later called me on phone and told me that some money will be
transferred into my account. I got initial sum of N80million transferred
into the Heritage Bank account of one of my companies, Asiladrrin Global
Consulting Ltd. I converted the money into dollars as directed by Mr.
Tuoyo.”
Francis also disclosed that he had an inflow of N340million in two
tranches of N160million and N180million into the company’s account within
the same period. He said he also converted the money into dollars and
“handed it over to Mr. Tuoyo, NDDC’s Executive Director of Finance and
Administration, as well as the NDDC’s MD”.
Speaking further, the witness said: “Sometime in January 2015, I also got
a call from the 1st defendant (Mr. Tuoyo) telling me that I will be
getting a payment from a company known as Building Associates. I later got
an inflow of N349,650,000 into the Heritage Bank account of my company,
College-Pro Synergy Ltd.
“I was furnished with an account of a firm, Greenhouse Investment, owned
by the Special Assistant on Finance to the then NDDC’s MD to which I
transferred N100million. The balance was converted to dollars as directed
by Mr. Tuoyo.”
When asked by the prosecution lawyer whether he executed any contract for
Building Associates Ltd to warrant the transfer of the fund to his
company’s account, he said: “I did not execute any contract for Building
Associate.”
Under cross-examination by Professor Amuda Kehinde (SAN), Tuoyo’s lawyer,
the witness said he did not transfer any money to the 1st defendant’s
account. He maintained that his oral testimony was part of the statement
he wrote on August 14, 2017, for the EFCC.
Further hearing in the trial continues on April 11, 2019.
In the charge, Omatsuli is accused of procuring the third and fourth
accused (Momoh and Building Associates) to utilise a total sum of
N3.6billion paid by Starline Consultancy Services Ltd into an account
operated by the fourth accused.
The prosecution said they ought to have known that the said sums, formed
part of the proceeds of unlawful activities, which include corruption and
gratification.
The offences which were allegedly committed between August 2014 and
September 2015 contravene the provisions of Sections 15(1), 15(2), 15(3)
and 18 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011, as amended by Act No
1 of 2012.