The ongoing trial of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeola Amosu (retd.) and others before Justice Muhammed Idris of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos
continued today, Monday, May 14, 2018, with a prosecution witness, TosinOwobo, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, explaining
how various sums of monies meant for the Nigeria Air Force(NAF) operations were diverted to personal use by the defendants.
Amosu is standing trial alongside two serving senior Air Force officers: Air Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun, a former Chief of Accounts and Budgeting and Air Commodore Gbadebo Owodunni Olugbenga, a former Director of Finance and Budget.
Also charged with the accused are seven companies namely Delfina Oil and Gas Limited; McAllan Oil and Gas Limited, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Limited; Trapezites BDC; Fonds and Pricey Limited; Deegee Oil and Gas Limited; Timsegg Investment Limited and Solomon Health Care Limited.
During cross-examination by counsel to the first defendant, Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, Owobo told the court about the inflow of funds from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to the NAF accounts domiciled in Skye Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc on the instructions of Amosu.
Owobo further told the court that his team, in the course of investigation, analyzed the NAF’s accounts in Skye Bank and Zenith Bank and discovered inflows into the accounts, adding that NAF officials were asked questions in respect of the transactions.
The witness said that a transfer of N1, 000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) was made to the NAF’s operations account in Skye Bank by the Ministry of Defence headquarters on January 17, 2013.
When asked if there were other inflows into the Skye Bank account outside the funds from NIMASA, Owobo answered in the affirmative.
Also, when asked if he knew the purpose for which the N1bn was paid into the NAF’s Syke Bank account by the Ministry, the witness said he could not remember.
Though the witness told the court that his team wrote to the Ministry in respect of the transaction, he said he could not remember the details of the response by the Ministry.
Owobo, while still under cross- examination, told the court how another sum of N100 million was made by the Ministry into the NAF’s Skye Bank account on May 15, 2013.
“ My team also analyszed the transaction in the course of investigation, but I cannot remember the purpose of the payment,” he added.
Also, when asked about various sums of money made from the Ministry to the NAF operations account domiciled in Skye Bank( N11.1m on April 10, 2013; N90m on May 31, 2013; N19m on June 17, 2013; N71m on August 7, 2013; N110m on September 18, 2013 and N160m on December 3, 2013), Owobo told the court that his team wrote and questioned some NAF officials, who admitted that the funds were for NAF operations.
Justice Idris adjourned the case to May 15, 2018 for continuation of trial.
