The trial of former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, for alleged N3.1 billion fraud, has been adjourned to March 22, for continuation of trial. The trial was adjourned by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, where the ex-governor had been arraigned alongside two others in the criminal charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions, EFCC, told Justice Mohammed how he was directed by the former governor to pay N3.1billion from the proceeds of the sale of Benue State shares to a personal account belonging to a Bureau de Change.
The witness, Aluyi Victor, a portfolio manager with Elixir Investment Company Ltd, told the court that it was later that Elixir discovered after carrying out a private investigation that the account where the money was paid belonged to a Bureau de Change.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacob (SAN), Victor told the court that Elixir Investment Company Limited received verbal instructions to sell the Benue State government shares from Suswam through his then Commissioner of Finance, Omadachi Okolobia. “After the sale was completed, we realised the total sum of N9.4bn. “The money was subsequently paid out into three bank accounts following the instructions we received from the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited.
“N1 billion was paid into Benue Investment and Property Company bank account; N5.3bn was paid into the Ministry of Finance account, while the Inremaining N3.1bn was paid into the account, which after our investigation we discovered belonged to a Bureau De Change,” he said.
He told the court that Elixir on discovering that the third account does not belong to the Benue government raised that observation but was told the account belonged to Fanffash Resources, the state ministry of account project account. The letter authorising the payment into a private firm account was admitted as exhibit by the judge who later adjourned the matter to March 22 for continuation of trial. National Mirror
