A prosecution witness, Orji
Chukwuma, in the ongoing trial of a former Special Assistant on Domestic
Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, has told
Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, how Mr. Dudafa
allegedly laundered several billions of Naira for a former First Lady, Patience
Jonathan.
Dudafa is standing trial
alongside Joseph Iwuejo, his ex-account officer, who allegedly aided him to
perpetrate the fraud.
Messrs. Dudafa and Iwuejo, who
also claimed to be ‘Taiwo Ebenezer’ and ‘Olugbenga Isaiah’, between June 2013
and June 2015, were alleged to have used different companies to fraudulently
launder various sums of money to the tune of N5.1 billion.
On Tuesday, Chukwuma, an
investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, told the
court how one Murtala Abubakar, a Bereau de Change operator, admitted to have
collected several millions in dollars from Dudafa.
“We discovered, in the course of
our investigation, that Abubakar was directed to pay the various sums of money
into different accounts provided by Dudafa,” Chukwuma said.
Led in evidence by the
prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, Mr. Chukwuma also told the court that the
money was given to Mr. Dudafa at the Aso Rock Villa by Patience, the wife of former
President Goodluck Jonathan.
Giving further testimony, Mr.
Chukwuma told the court that Mr. Dudafa used some companies: ABY Resources
Limited; Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited; Pluto Property and
Investment Company Limited; Ibejige Services Limited and DeJakes Fast Food
& Restaurant Nigeria Limited to ware-house and manage the monies found in
his possession.
The prosecution witness further
stated that the defendant did not declare his interest in these companies in
his Asset Declaration Form, and that the monies found in his accounts at two
new generation banks were proceeds of crime.
Dudafa, through his lawyer, filed
an application urging the court to release his international passport
temporarily to enable him go for a medical appointment outside the country.
In his response, the prosecution
counsel, Oyedepo urged the court not to grant the application on the grounds
that the EFCC had written to a Lagos State government hospital to examine
Dudafa’s health and to determine whether he could be treated in the country or
abroad.
Oyedepo, however, told the court
that he was yet to receive any response from the hospital.
Justice Idris adjourned to
October 24 for hearing of the application and November 14 and 15, 2017 for
continuation of trial.
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