Anna Akuson, a witness in the N3.9 billion fraud trial involving Alex
\nBadeh, former Chief of Air Staff, on Wednesday told Justice Okon Abang of
\nthe Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja how a search conducted on a
\nproperty allegedly belonging to defendant led to the recovery of $1
\nmillion suspected to be proceeds of illicit deals.<\/p>\n
Mr. Akuson, an operative of the EFCC, who testified as PW20, said that the
\nmoney was found in a wardrobe at the upper apartment of the building
\nlocated at No. 6 Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja.<\/p>\n
Led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Akuson said:<\/p>\n
I am a cameraman working with the EFCC. On February 24, 2016, I was
\nassigned to go on a search with some operatives. The team leader told me
\nthe properties (we were to search) belong to Alex Badeh.<\/p>\n
On reaching the place, I started my recording from outside. In the master
\nbedroom (upstairs), we found a travelling bag covered with a pillow-case
\nin the wardrobe. We opened the travelling bag and found US dollars inside.
\nWe brought the bag down and the money was counted.<\/p>\n
After the search, we returned to the office and I copied the visual from
\nmy camera to a hard drive, after which I burned it to a DVD disc.<\/p>\n
Thereafter, the prosecution sought to tender the certificate of
\nidentification and the DVD disc of the recording, but its admissibility
\nwas strongly objected to by Mr. Badehs counsel, Akin Olujimi.<\/p>\n
While relying on Section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice
\nAct, 2015, Mr. Olujimi argued, I am for the first time seeing these
\ndocuments in court now that the Registrar handed them over to me.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt that the prosecutor did not include these two documents
\nin the information he filed before this court. That means we have been
\ndeprived of the rights of an accused person by the law. These two
\ndocuments ought to have accompanied the information which the court has.<\/p>\n
Responding, Mr. Jacobs argued that the documents had been made available
\nto the defence when the EFCCs investigating officer (who testified as
\nPW19) gave his evidence. However, he offered to avail the defence counsel
\ncopies of the documents.<\/p>\n
Mr. Olujimi further applied that the next date of hearing, which is March
\n1 be vacated to enable the defence study the documents and prepare their
\ndefence.<\/p>\n
Consequently, Justice Abang adjourned toMarch 14<\/span><\/span>for continuation of trial. He, among other things, allegedly between January and December, 2013, used Anna Akuson, a witness in the N3.9 billion fraud trial involving Alex Badeh, former Chief of Air Staff, on Wednesday told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Maitama,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nMr. Badeh is facing trial alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, on a
\n10-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N3.9billion.<\/p>\n
\ndollar equivalent of N1.4 billion removed from the accounts of the
\nNigerian Air Force to purchase a mansion situated at No. 6, Ogun River
\nStreet, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja.<\/p>\n