Police Pension scam: Court holds trial within trial Thursday

An FCT High Court on Tuesday adjourned the Police Pension fund scam case till Wednesday, Nov. 30 for trial within trial.

Esar Dangabar, Atiku Kigo, Ahmed Wada, Veronica Onyegbula, Sani Zira, Uzoma Attang and Christian Madubuke, are standing trial for complicity in the over N24 billion scam in the police pension funds.

Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, adjourned the matter after hearing submissions from the counsel in the matter on the veracity of the 4th defendant, Veronica Onyegbula’s statement to EFCC.

At the last sitting, EFCC Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had through a witness, Mustapha Gadanya, tendered the documents.

Dangabar’s Counsel Lateef Fagbemi did not oppose the tendering of the documents.

Gadanya said that N1.09 billion was discovered in the bank account of Esar Dangabar, a former Director of Police Pension fund.

He told the court that Dangabar had on Sept.2, 2009 deposited seven million naira into a particular bank account, adding that the defendant had millions of naira in different bank accounts.

The witness told the court that in the course of EFCC investigation, it was discovered that Dangabar’s salary as at the time of the alleged fraud was less than N180,000 per month.

At the resumed sitting Gadanya told the court to review cheques that were withdrawn by Veronica Onyegbula, one of defendants.

She was invited to the EFCC to volunteer statements on Feb. 13, 15, 16, and 17, 2012 also March 22, 26, May 2 and Oct. 22, 2012.

After the statements, a search warrant was executed in a Sun City home in Abuja.

The witness told the court that ‘we recovered various documents, among which was EcoBank statement of Ulovi International Resources Ltd”.

He said that when another search was executed in the same house “we recovered several other documents and an agreement signed with Revita Core and a GTB deposit slip.

“Also Lloyd international Bank account was recovered when I took her statement at the EFCC interrogation room.

Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) sought to tender the documents.

Objecting, Mr Ernest Ikeji said his client did not make those statements voluntarily citing sections 29 (2) (b) of the Evidence Act 2011.

“EFCC refused to release her on bail saying that her bosses have been released and if she refuses to make statements she will remain there.”

He urged the court to conduct trial within trial to obtain the truth of the document.

Jacobs told the court that for the trial within trial he was going to bring the four witnesses to testify.