 |
| Ex-NNPC GMD Andrew Yakubu |
Andrew Yakubu, a former Group Managing Director (GMD),
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has denied that part of the
recovered money in his Kaduna residence was given to him by a businesswoman,
Bola Shagaya.
Mr Yakubu also refuted the allegations that some of the money
was given to him by Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore, both of who are into oil and
gas business.
The ex-GMD of NNPC denied the allegations during a cross-examination
by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)‘s prosecuting
lawyer, G. Ofulue, before the trial judge, Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High
Court, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the anti-graft
agency had, during a raid on a property in Kaduna belonging to Mr Yakubu,
recovered $9.7 million and £74, 000 from a safe.
He wad arraigned on 16 March, 2017 on six counts.
The trial court, however, struck out two of the counts in a
ruling on the no-case submission filed by the defendant after the prosecution
closed its case.
The Court of Appeal, ruling on an appeal against Mr
Mohammed’s decision, further reduced the number of counts to two which bordered
on failure to make full disclosure of his assets during interrogation by EFCC
official and receiving cash without going through financial institution.
NAN reports that Mr Yakubu had, on 8 July, 2020, told the
court that a substantial part of the money found at his Kaduna residence by
EFCC was given to him as gift after leaving office.
Mr Yakubu, under cross-examination as the first defence
witness (DW1) in the case, said on Wednesday, that though he knew Ms Shagaya,
who is said to be the chief executive officer of Voyage Oil and Gas Limited, he
was unaware that her company was awarded an exploration licence in 2012 when he
was the NNPC GMD.
“Will I be correct to say that the company was awarded an
exploration license in 2012 when you were GMD of NNPC?” The EFCC prosecution
lawyer, Mr Ofulue, asked.
“I am not aware because NNPC does not issue oil licenses but
DPR,” the defendant responded.
He was further asked, “Will I be correct to say some of the
money recovered from your house in Kaduna was given to you by Bola Shagaya?”
Mr Yakubu gave a negative response.
The EFCC counsel asked further if some of the money was given
to him by Messrs Aluko and Omokore, and the former NNPC boss said the
allegation was incorrect.
Mr Yakubu’s counsel, Anone Usman, opted not to reexamine the
defendant, who was subsequently discharged from the witness box.
Meanwhile, the anti-graft agency informed the judge that the
commission had a pending motion dated 18 June and filed 25 June seeking an
order of the court for a recall of third prosecution witness, Ahmed Yahaya, and
sixth prosecution witness, Suleiman Mohammed, for further examination-in-chief
and possible further cross-examination in respect to the remaining counts three
and four of the charge.
The EFCC said it sought the order on the grounds that the
witnesses were led in evidence by former prosecuting counsel and that the
lawyer did not make maximum use of the witnesses being sought to be recalled in
extracting relevant evidence from the said witnesses to prove the two counts.
The commission argued further that the witnesses being sought
to be recalled were very material in proving counts three and four, among other
grounds.
However, Mr Usman, who acknowledged that a counter-affidavit
was filed by June 28 in opposition to the EFCC’s motion, urged the court to
dismiss the application for being unmeritorious and highly vexatious.
After the parties in the suit adopted their processes
adjourned till 18 November for ruling.
(NAN)
