TheCable

Kakwagh Ngunan, a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has told a federal high court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, how Albert Bassey, a serving senator, received six cars worth N204 million from Olajide Omokore, a businessman.

Bassey who is representing Akwa-Ibom north-east is standing trial before Agatha Okeke, the judge, on a six-count charge.

According to the EFCC, the senator allegedly received the vehicles between 2010 and 2014 from Omokore when he (Bassey) served as the Akwa-Ibom commissioner for finance.

The vehicles are, Infinity QX 56 BP, valued at N45 million; Toyota Land Cruiser V8 BP, valued at N40 million; Range Rover, valued at N40 million; Toyota Hiace, High Roof, valued at N27 million; Toyota Hiace High Roof, valued at N16 million and Toyota Hilux 4×4, valued at N36 million.

While being led in evidence by Mohammed Abubakar, prosecution counsel, Kakwagh, an operative of the EFCC, told the court that her team traced about N3 billion payments from the Akwa Ibom state government and the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee (IMDLCC) to five accounts linked to Omokore.

The accounts are Canwod Dredging Company Limited, Bay Atlantic Limited, Sahel Engineering, Power Nigeria Limited and Network Services Nigeria Limited.

The witness said her team, “requested for statements of accounts from Stanbic IBTC Bank and Access Bank regarding these companies, and as soon as the banks obliged us the statements, we invited the alter ego of the company, one Olajide Omokore to come and explain why those companies received so much money from Akwa Ibom state government and the IMDLCC”.

She said in response to the invite, Omokore told the EFCC that the payments were for contracts executed for the Akwa Ibom state government.

Narrating further, she said the investigation team secured a warrant to search Omokore’s office and residence.

Upon carrying out the search, Kakwagh said documents including contract papers from the Akwa Ibom state government to Network Services Nigeria Limited for the supply of bulletproof vehicles and invoices from Skymit Limited in the name of Bassey and Omokore, as well as delivery notes for the vehicles carrying the senator’s name were recovered.

“My team further traced monies from Omokore’s company account to the account of Skymit Limited, and when we invited Skymit to tell us the reasons for the money, we were told that it was for the purchase of vehicles,” she said.

“So, my investigation revealed that the accused, while he was the commissioner for finance and chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee, Omokore and his companies received monies from the Akwa Ibom state government and the IMDLCC.

“Also, that Omokore bought cars from Skymit Limited for the accused.”

The witness added the IMDLCC chairman failed to respond to the commission’s letter requesting details of all contracts and projects carried out by the committee.

All documents to support the witness testimony were admitted in evidence as exhibits P2 to P11.

The matter was adjourned till December 7 and 8 2020, for continuation of trial.