Sambo Maina, a
prosecution witness in case of money laundering and false declaration of assets
involving a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, GMD NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, on Thursday, May 10, 2018 narrated how
the defendant concealed the sum of $9,772,800 found in his apartment in the EFCC
Asset Declaration Form.
Maina, an operative
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, stated this while
testifying as the fourth prosecution witness before Justice A. R. Mohammed of
the Federal High Court, Abuja.
He also told the
court that the former NNPC boss also failed to declare the sum of £74,000 (seventy
four thousand pounds sterling) found in his building to the EFCC in the said
form.
While narrating how
EFCC came about the ‘Declaration Form’, Sambo said: “We commenced investigation
into two categories of NNPC contract. The contracts were awarded by NNPC and its
subsidiaries.
“The first category
of the contract relates to strategic alliance agreement between the NNPC, its
subsidiaries NPDC (Nigerian Petroleum Development Company) and Atlantic Energy
Drilling Concept Ltd.
“The first strategic
alliance agreement was on oil mining lease 26/30/34/40/42 and the second
contract was on oil mining lease 60/61/62/63”.
He added that the
investigation was sequel to intelligence report received by the EFCC relating
to suspicious fund transfers from the Nigerian account of Atlantic Energy
Drilling Concept to its sister company in Switzerland called Atlantic Energy
Holdings, including additional transfers from Atlantic Energy Brass Development
Ltd to Atlantic Energy Holdings.
“It was on the basis
of this suspicious transaction that investigation commenced. In the course of
our investigation, we found it necessary to seek clarifications from Engineer
Andrew Yakubu and he was invited to EFCC”, Maina said.
He added that while
interacting with the defendant, EFCC found out that the two strategic alliance agreements
were executed between 2011 and April 2014 when Yakubu was the GMD.
The PW4 further
stated that after the defendant volunteered his statement he also declared his
assets to the EFCC sometimes between June and August, 2015.
The witness told the
court that the declaration form given to the defendant to fill and declare his
assets was based on the allegation that the company, Atlantic Energy Drilling
Concept Ltd, was allowed to lift crude oil worth over a billion dollars without
carrying out the necessary obligation on their part upon which some officials of
the NNPC were charged to court.
The asset
declaration form was tendered and admitted as ‘Exhibit I’.
Thereafter, Justice
Ahmed adjourned to July 3, 2018 for continuation of trial.
Yakubu, is facing
trial on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering and false declaration
of assets.
It would be recalled
that, on the 3rd day of February, 2017, operatives of the EFCC had stormed a
building belonging to the former NNPC boss and recovered a staggering sum of
$9,772,000 (Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand United States
Dollars) and £74,000 (Seventy Four Thousand Pound Sterling) stashed in a huge
fire proof safe.
Yakubu, who admitted
to be the owner of the monies, claimed it was gifts given to him by friends and
well wishers and also savings accumulated over a period of years.
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