Principal witness in the ongoing trial of Barr. Azibaola Robert, cousin to
former President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji ibrahim Mahe, on Monday told a
Federal High Court that only detained former National Security Adviser
(NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki can explain why OnePlus Holdings Limited got a
$40 million pipeline security contract.
Mahe, who recently retired as permanent secretary, Special Services
Operations (SSO) in the NSA’s office told the court that he paid Oneplus
$40 million out of the $600 million special security fund sourced from the
Nigerian National Petroluem Corporation (NNPC).
Under cross examination by counsel to Roberts, Chief Chris Uche, Mahe, who
admitted serving only eleven months in the ONSA, also admitted that some
other firms got security contracts in excess of $40 million approved for
OnePlus.
The retired permanent secretary, however, failed to tell the court
presided by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba the names of the companies that
benefited from the remaining $560 million of the special security fund.
He admitted that the ONSA maintained Naira, Dollar and Euro security
accounts.
Also under cross examination, Mahe admitted that prior to crediting the
account of OnePlus with the $40 million, at least nine officials in the
office of the NSA minuted on the payment warrant.
The retired permanent secretary 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, also admitting that for security purposes, certain
security contracts could be given codenames.
Mahe denied being part of any bidding process for the procurement of
security gadgets, saying his responsibility only entailed disbursing
monies already approved for security contracts.
The matter was adjourned October 6.