Witness admits no proof Saraki owns ‘undeclared’ London property

Michael Wetkas, a detective of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, admitted that there were no evidence to show that Senate President Bukola Saraki did not declare a piece of property in London.

Wetkas, while being cross-examined on charge 11 of false declaration of assets by Paul Usoro, Saraki’s lawyer at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), said that he had no detailed information regarding the alleged undeclared property.

In the charge, Saraki was alleged to have bought the property with N345m loan from Guaranty Trust bank, which he allegedly did not declare.

Below is an excerpt of the cross-examination.

Usoro : Michael let’s go back to your charge sheet, count 11. Let me read it for emphasis. (He reads that the defendant failed to disclose the loan of N345M obtained from GTbank).

Usoro: I have seen the part here for mortgage redemption, but nothing on purchase of property. How did you arrive at that?

Wetkas : If you go to the last part of that exhibit,  you will see the purchase of a property in London for N375M. We got more convinced when we saw the telex transfer for property.

Usoro: That’s for mortgage repayment.

Wetkas :Yes. Mortgage repayment is for property.

Usoro: What you said is that page 49 is based on this, you concluded there was a property.

Wetkas : Plus remittance. Yes. (He admits he never asked the defendant about the mortgage. Neither did he see the mortgage agreement to confirm ownership.)

Wetkas: His offshore contacts confirmed that loan amount was used to purchase two property around 2011. There is no formal letter.

Usoro: Is there current evidence that shows the location/description of the properties referred in count 11.

Wetkas: There is none.

Usoro: I cannot see any signature or anything to show who prepared this document. Do you have anything to show?

Wetkas: Yes. There’s no signature.