OKUPE COLLECTED N702 MILLION FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ‘FOR DOING NOTHING’, PROSECUTION WITNESS TELLS COURT
The prosecution witness in the a statement by the commission, said the defendant allegedly received the sum in different tranches between 2012 and 2014,adding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC),commenced investigating Okupe after it was tipped off about the alleged fraud in 2016.
The statement said, “Azonabor told the court that the EFCC wrote to the ONSA, demanding the vouchers of the payments made to Okupe. According to him, after analysing the payment vouchers, it was realised that cash payment of N50 million, was made into Okupe’s account, as stated in the voucher of April 8, 2014’.
“He also stated that another cash payment of N6 million was found to have been made to Okupe on April 2, 2014. He explained that there were series of payment in multiples of N10 million that was made to Okupe between 2012 to 2014”, the statement said
Penpushing further reports that, Azonabo gave the testimony while responding to questions from a lawyer, of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) Ibrahim Audu , adding that the commission’s investigation found the sum of N50 million paid into Zenith Bank account of Value Trust Investment Limited, said to belong to the accused.
The witness also told the court that another N35 million was paid into the account of Abraham Telecoms Nigeria Limited, in which Okupe is a signatory, recalling that, “he told us he was the Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2012 and was placed on a monthly salary of N835, 000, paid to him by the SGF,”
“Okupe said he was paid N10 million monthly for 24 months by ONSA and that the money was reduced to N5 million monthly from January 2015 to May 2015. Okupe said the money was for special services and when asked to elaborate what he meant by ‘special services’, Okupe said part of the money was used to sponsor ‘Insight’, a programme on NTA”.
The witness also told the court that, in the course of the investigation, Okupe reportedly submitted a budget proposal by Nigerian Television Authority( NTA) to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC).
He said the commission, however, wrote a letter to the TV station to confirm the authenticity of the document that emanated from Nigerian Television Authority(NTA),explaining that in response to that letter, the Nigerian Television Authority(NTA) agreed that the document came from them.
The prosecution witness said the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), however, said the programme was aired free of charge, in line with the television’s regulations for addressing its corporate social responsibility.
Penpushing also reports that, the witness further told the court that Okupe claimed that part of the money collected from ONSA was used to pay workers, but when asked to show proof of payment he only brought a list of names on a written piece of paper and also a typed paper.
The witness declared, “There was no payment voucher, receipt or pay slip to show evidence of payment and when we asked him to produce staff he paid to, he couldn’t produce any. However, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents of the Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abraham Telecoms Nig Ltd, and a letter of response from ONSA to the EFCC Acting Chairman and statements of the defendants were all admitted in evidence’.
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned till Thursday for cross-examination.
