Shocking: Witness Recounts How They Moved N1.2bn Cash For Fayose

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fayoseAs the trial of the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose continues, a prosecution witness has come out to recount how three aircraft took N1.2 billion from Lagos to Ekiti to deliver to the former governor. The testifier, a banker named Damola Otuyena alleged that the money was stolen from the Office of the National Security Officer (ONSA), contrary to the Money Laundering Act. Otuyena who was the head of his bank’s Cash Transit Service Unit when the transit occurred, said he accompanied the bullion van which carried the money to the airport was later delivered to the governor. Being the fourth prosecution witness, he was led in evidence by the EFCC lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs. fayoseEvidence on the bank account of Sylvan Mcnamara Limited and detailed information on how the money was withdrawn was given based on the instructions of the former Minister of Defense Musiliu Obanikoro on June 16 and 17 of the year 2014. It was revealed by the witness that although Obanikoro operated the account and was the known holder of the account, he was not the official signatory to it nor was he the director to the company in whose name the account was opened. According to the witness he got the information from his boss to get the cash ready to be moved to Ekiti. “My director gave further instructions that we should move the cash to the airport. We contacted the cash in transit company that renders bullion services – Bankers Warehouse Ltd – and the cash was moved to the private wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport.“We could not get access when we got there, so we waited outside. My director said someone would be there to attend to us.“He spoke to a certain Gbolahan Obanikoro through my phone. He helped to process a pass and we were able to enter the airport – the bullion van and myself. “Later, Musiliu Obanikoro came. My boss called me and spoke to him through my phone and said we should give him the cash. The cash was given to him.“We loaded the bags of cash into the aircraft. About two or three aircraft were used to load the cash.“My director, Premier Oyiwo, having identified Obanikoro, said I should release the cash to him. When we pay cash to beneficiaries, they sign off for collection. Obanikoro signed off for collection,” the witness said. When asked how the cash was moved, the witness said; “We have bags designed in a standard way in the banking industry. We used them to package the money. We call them jumbo bags. We used the biggest sizes to pack the money. We used jumbo bags for the N1.2billion.” According to the witness, he was instructed by his boss to pay N200 Million to Malik Bauchi from the same account operated by Obanikoro. When asked if there is any evidence that Obanikoro personally withdrew from the bank, he said; “The narration we have in the bank statement is fund transfer. There was no entry that Obanikoro received the N1.2billionThe instruction to release the cash first went to the Treasury Department, which debited Sylvan Mcnamara’s account and moved the cash to a transit account. So the entry is a default narration for the debit.”  Based on the court charges against him, Fayose pleaded not guilty, according to the EFCC  Fayose and Agbele who are facing different charges, they allegedly took possession of N1.2bn on June 17, 2014. Photo Credit: Getty

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