Anna Akuson, a witness in the
N3.9 billion fraud trial involving Alex Badeh, former Chief of Air Staff, on
Wednesday told the Federal High Court, Abuja how he recovered $1 million cash
from the ex-Airforce Chief’s apartment
Mr. Akuson, an operative of the
EFCC, who testified as PW20, said that the money was found in a wardrobe at the
upper apartment of the building located at No. 6 Ogun River Street, Off Danube
Street, Maitama, Abuja during a search.
Akuson said: “I am a cameraman
working with the EFCC. On February 24, 2016, I was assigned to go on a search
with some operatives. The team leader told me the properties (we were to
search) belong to Alex Badeh.
“On reaching the place, I started
my recording from outside. In the master bedroom (upstairs), we found a
travelling bag covered with a pillow-case in the wardrobe. We opened the
travelling bag and found US dollars inside. We brought the bag down and the
money was counted.
“After the search, we returned to
the office and I copied the visual from my camera to a hard drive, after which
I burned it to a DVD disc”.
Mr. Badeh is facing trial
alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, on a 10-count charge of money laundering to
the tune of N3.9billion.
Between January and December,
2013,he allegedly used dollar equivalent of N1.4 billion removed from the
accounts of the Nigerian Air Force to purchase a mansion situated at No. 6,
Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja.
However, the defence counsel told
the court it was first time he would hear about the certificate of
identification and the DVD disc of the recordin.
He relied on Section 379 of the
Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
Mr. Olujimi argued, “I am for the
first time seeing these documents in court now that the Registrar handed them
over to me.
“There is no doubt that the
prosecutor did not include these two documents in the information he filed
before this court. That means we have been deprived of the rights of an accused
person by the law. These two documents ought to have accompanied the
information which the court has”.
Olujimi further applied that the
next date of hearing, which is March 1 be vacated to enable the defence study
the documents and prepare their defence.
Consequently, Justice Abang of
Abuja federal high court adjourned the case to March 14 for continuation of
trial.
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