3 weeks ago
6
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witnesser told an Abuja High Court that erstwhile Minister of Power and Steel, Dr Olu Agunloye, disobeyed a statesmanlike directive concerning the Mambilla powerfulness project.
The EFCC alleged that Agunloye, who served arsenic a Minister betwixt 1999 and 2003 nether erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo, illegally awarded a declaration for the operation of 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station connected a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis.
According to the EFCC, the erstwhile curate knowingly disobeyed a statesmanlike directive that was made aft a Federal Executive Council, FEC, gathering held connected May 21, 2003, by issuing a missive to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, conveying the Federal Government’s support for the contract.
Testifying, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Umar Babangida, while being cross-examined by Agunloye’s lawyer, Adeola Adedipe SAN, said: ”The defendant disobeyed the directive of Obasanjo and solution of the Federal Executive Council gathering of May 21, 2003.”
According to him, the statesmanlike directive was contained successful the minutes of the FEC gathering of May 21, 2003, chaired by Obasanjo.
When confronted with an exhibit, earlier tendered done him by the prosecution to amusement the tribunal anyplace successful the minutes of the gathering wherever the statesmanlike directive was contained, the witnesser said determination was nary circumstantial directive.
When the defendant’s counsel asked the witnesser to work a information of Agunloye’s extrajudicial connection tendered by EFCC arsenic exhibit, the prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed SAN, raised an objection.
Abba said the witnesser could not beryllium cross-examined connected a connection that was not his.
He added that determination was a quality betwixt what the suspect told the PW3 and what helium wrote successful his statement.
Responding to this, Adedipe told the tribunal that the witnesser tendered the papers helium was shown to work from arsenic portion of his investigation.
Adedipe said further that the witnesser did not lone instrumentality Agunloye’s connection but besides gave robust grounds connected it.
He added that what helium was doing was to trial the veracity of what the witnesser told the tribunal with a presumption to impeaching his credibility that helium was not a witnesser of truth.
The court, however, overruled the prosecution’s objection and directed the witnesser to work the information shown him.
Babangida subsequently work the information successful which Agunloye wrote that helium ne'er met Leno Adesanya, the change ego of SPTCL, before the grant of the declaration until 2014.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie reserved ruling successful a question filed by the suspect seeking the permission of tribunal to merchandise his planetary passport.
He past adjourned until Nov. 3 for continuation of cross-examination of the PW3.
(NAN)
The station Ex-minister Agunloye disobeyed statesmanlike directive for Mambilla powerfulness task – EFCC witness appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
English (US) ·