A star witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, alleged that a former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, transferred N3.1 billion into his account.
An Abuja-based Bureau De Change (BDC) Operator, Abubakar Umar, told Justice Okon Abang at the Federal High Court, Abuja, that the money was transferred through a company, Elixir Investment, in bits into his company’s account name, Fanffash Resources, at the Zenith Bank.
He said the total amount of the money in dollars was $15.8 million at N197 per dollar at the time.
The EFCC had, in 2016, presented Umar before Justice Ahmed Mohammed as 4th prosecution witness in Suswam’s matter.
However, Mohammed, on December 11, 2017, declared Umar hostile to the EFCC in the trial of the former governor after the witness contradicted himself while testifying in the case on May 5, 2016.
Although the trial could not continue before Mr Mohammed, who recused himself from the case due to a report by an online media of a bribery allegation against him, the matter was later assigned to Mr Abang by the court’s authorities.
Mr Abang had, on Thursday, adjourned the trial till January 31 at the instance of the defence.
At the resumed trial on Friday, the EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that he was ready for the trial and that the 4th prosecution witness (PW4) was in court.
“My Lord, the witness cannot speak fluently so he will require an interpreter,” he said.
Giving his evidence-in-chief before the court, Umar, who spoke through an interpreter, said his office is located at Zone 4 Plaza, Abuja.
“I buy and sell money. I buy and sell American dollars. I transact my business in Fanffash Resources,” he said.
He said in 2014, the former governor sent for him to meet him (Suswam) at his residence in Maitama District, Abuja.
“I came and met him in his house at Maitama near the mosque. I met him with a woman. He asked me to give him my account number.
“I now gave my account number to the woman. The governor now said I would see money in my account,” he narrated.
The PW4 said after two days, N413 million was transferred into his account on August 8, 2014, from Elixir Investment.
“The woman now called me if I have seen the money and I said yes, I have seen money in my account.
“I now called the former governor when the money entered my account. The first money she put was 413 million.
“The former governor said I should change it to dollars. After two to three days, I changed it to dollars and called him that what you asked me to do I have done it.
“He (Suswam) now said I should bring it. I called him again to clear the gate for me that I am bringing it to his house. I now took it to him,” he said.
Mr Umar said he took a taxi to deliver the money to Mr Suswam at his Maitama house.
The witness also told the court that there were subsequent transfers made into his account.
“There were some subsequent payments from time to time.
“In all, the total money I received into my account, Fanffash Resources, is N3, 111, 000, 000,” he said.
When asked by the EFCC how he usually delivered the money to Suswam, he said: “The way I gave him the first one is the way I gave him the remaining ones.
“That time, dollar was N197 to a dollar and the total in dollars is $15, 800, 000.”
He said he decided to use taxi drivers due to security reasons.
Mr Jacobs asked Mr Umar that “in his defence, the former governor said you did not give him any money?”
In his response, the witness said: “If I didn’t give him that money, I would have been dead since.
“I cannot eat government money and stay alive.”
Mr Umar confirmed that the Exhibit B, pages 21 and 66, contained his photograph, company’s name, telephone number and account number.
When asked if he knew what the ex-governor used the money for, the PW4 said: “After I delivered the money, I don’t know what the governor does with them.”
