Halima Ogiri, Per Second News
Abuja - The trial of former Head of Service and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force (PCFATF), Mr. Steven Oronsaye, continued on Wednesday April 13, 2016 before Justice O. O. Goodluck of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
Oronsaye is being prosecuted on a two-count charge of abuse of office and obtaining by false pretence preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Oronsaye as the Chairman of the PCFATF is alleged to have converted N190million belonging to the Committee to personal use by fixing the money in his personal account in one of the new generation banks.
At an earlier sitting on March 15, 2016, the EFCC presented its first witness (PW1), Ngunan Kakwagh, an operative of the EFCC, who told the court how Oronsaye opened an account in Access Bank Plc in the name of the Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force, into which he received funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and converted N190 million to personal use by investing the money in various fixed deposit accounts.
Similarly, the second EFCC’s witness, PW2, Olubunmi Ojoko, a staff of Access Bank Plc and Account Officer of the defendant, who gave a shocking revelation on how Oronsaye opened an account with Access Bank Plc in the name of Presidential Committee on Financial Action task Force without a mandate from the AGF.
Ojoko told the court that Oronsaye, in addition to investing the sum of N190m in fixed deposits, made personal withdrawals at different times to the tune of N33.9 m (Thirty three million, nine hundred thousand naira). She further stated that, he (Oronsaye) issued cheques to several beneficiaries who withdrew from the account.
After the PW1’s testimony, the defence, represented by Joe Agi, SAN, sought leave of the court to move his pending bail application and allow for an adjournment to continue cross examination of the witness.
Justice Goodluck granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10million with two sureties in like sum, both of whom must be residents of FCT at the level of directors in the civil service or government establishments, either serving or retired.
Thereafter, the matter was adjourned to April 13 and 14, 2016 for continuation of trial.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Kakwagh under cross-examination, maintained that Oronsaye invested the funds of the Committee in a fixed deposit account contrary to the circular issued by the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), which only allowed government’s idle funds to be invested in treasury bills.
After listening to the testimony of the second prosecution witness, the defence counsel, Kanu Agabi, SAN, asked for adjournment till the next day to allow him time to study the proof of evidence already admitted as exhibit by court for cross examination of the witness.
Justice Goodluck adjourned the case to April 14, 2016 for continuation of trial.
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