Friday, October 14, 2016

Police Pension Scam: Witness Speaks More on How Dangabar, Stole N1. 093billion

The trial of Esai Dangabar, a former director, Police Pension Board and six others who are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for their complicity in the infamous N24billion police pension scam continued on Thursday, October 13, 2016 with the PW4, Mustapha Gadanya, giving more details on involvement of the accused persons in the alleged scam.
The other accused persons are; Atiku Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Uzoma Cyril Attang and Christian Madubuke.
Gadanya, an operative of the EFCC in his evidence on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 told Justice Hussein Yusuf of the FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, that Dangabar opened different accounts using fictitious names to steal the police pension funds.
Testifying further today, the PW4 who was led in evidence by counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, gave further details on investigations carried out on the financial activities in the bank accounts operated by the first defendant, Dangabar.
“The Commission wrote letters to banks in respect of the accounts domiciled in Zenith Bank, UBA, Access Bank and replies were gotten.
“A search warrant was executed on Dangaba’s office. We discovered two draft letters to Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank) in regards to fixed deposit in the account of E. D. Lamaura and Esai Dangaba Lamaura.
“We wrote Intercontinental Bank to furnish us with details of all the fixed deposits, and they responded. The review from Access Bank revealed that, in September 2009, the first defendant placed a fixed deposit of a total sum of N76million naira while in July 2009, he placed the sum of N20million as fixed deposit inside E. D. Lamaura and Esai Dangaba Lamaura accounts respectively.  Turnover from the two accounts totaled N143,378,691.05k and N385,514,157.01k.
“These fixed deposits were during the time he was director of the police pension office, signature of depositor was his (Dangabar)”, Gadanya revealed.
The witness also told the court that inquiry into Dangaba’s salary account with Oceanic Bank (now Ecobank) shows that, as public servant, his earning as at April 2008 was N158, 914.03K (one hundred and fifty eight thousand, nine hundred and fourteen naira, three kobo) while his pension as at December 2009 was N170, 866.55 (one hundred and seventy thousand, eight hundred and sixty six naira, fifty-five kobo).
“Between January and June 2009, the first defendant deposited over N24million by self and made other cash payments and deposits during when he was director of the police pension office and several other deposits running into millions which he later liquidated.
“In total, my Lord, what we recovered based on interim forfeiture by the EFCC from the accounts in Skye and two Access Bank accounts, was N1. 093billion (one billion and ninety three thousand naira) with some fractions which must have accumulated due to rollover”, Gadanya stated.
Documents in support of these claims were tendered by the prosecuting counsel and admitted as exhibits.
Thereafter, Justice Baba-Yusuf adjourned to November 29 - 30, 2016 for continuation of trial.

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