DAY 2: In just one day, Saraki made 18 cash deposits of $10k into his GTB account, says EFCC

Michael Wetkas, a detective of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday said that Senate President Bukola Saraki made cash deposits of $10,000 18 times in one day.

While being lead in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to the federal government, Wetkas claimed that the senate president, while he was governor of Kwara state, diverted the state’s loans to personal use.

He said that Saraki used the loans obtained for the state to buy property for himself.

“On March 23, 2005, there was a cash deposit of N8.2m into the defendant account at the GRA Ilorin branch,” he narrated.

“On March 29, 2005, there was a N200m bank draft made in favour of an implementation committee on sale of government property.

“On October 16, 2006, the defendant obtained a loan of N380m from GTB. On that same day, there was a bank draft in favour of the same implementation committee. The draft was N286.3m.

“On the same day, there was another draft of N12.8m in favour of the committee on the landed properties. The loans were meant for purchase of properties by the defendant. On that same day there was a loan disbursement of N380m.

“On February 7, 2007, there was a transfer of N3m by Abdul Adama (Saraki’s personal assistant). On April 3, 2007, there was an electronic transfer of N130. 6m on the instruction of Saraki from the implementation committee to his account. On that same day, there were cash lodgments five times a day. The sums were N11m, N20m, N20m, N20m, and N6m. The total amount on that day was N77m.

“Before these lodgments, there was a debit balance of N81, 960, 289.

“On November 22, 2007, there were cash lodgments into the account (Saraki’s naira account) by Abdul Adama, in 50 different transactions. Before those lodgments, the account was in a debit balance of N80, 210, 976.

“On November 29, there were cash lodgments by Ubi. Over 20 transactions in bits of N20m. On March 20, 2008, there were more cash lodgments. Before then the account had a debit balance of N96m.

“On September 23, 2008, there were different cash lodgments by different individuals. On April 30, 2009, there was a bank draft of in favour of PGL Asset Management Limited in the sum of N400m.

“On October 26, 2009, cash lodgments were made by different individuals to Zenith bank account of the defendant 87 times in a single day.

“On May 19, 2009, he made a cash lodgment of $10, 000 18 times in one day in his dollar account. On 23 August, 2009, $99, 975 was transferred into his account.”

Earlier, Jacobs tendered three documents which were the details of Saraki’s accounts at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), as evidence in the case.

With feeble opposition from Kanu Agabi, Saraki’s lead counsel, the tribunal admitted the documents as evidence against the senate president.

The tribunal was still sitting as of the time of filing this report.