The
trial of former Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck
Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, whom the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC is prosecuting before
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja continued on
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 with veteran broadcaster, Olusola Atere
testifying against Okupe. Atere retired as Executive Director News, NTA
in 2016.
Okupe
was arraigned on a 59-count charge, bordering on money laundering and
criminal diversion of funds to the tune of N702,000,000 (Seven Hundred
and Two Million Naira)
only.
Testifying as Prosecution Witness 2, (PW2), Atere told the court that "Okupe was
a former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former
President Goodluck Jonathan, whom he said came to the NTA and met with
the management of the News Directorate which he happened to be a member
then, to
request for the production of a one-hour programme to promote the
policies and programmes of the then Federeal Government's
administration.
He
said, "we held a meeting and started planning for the programme.
Subsequently, members of Okupe's team came for another meeting with
NTA."
Atere
told the court that after the meeting, he was directed to raise a memo
to send a budget proposal to the office of the Senior Special Assistant
on Public Affairs on
October 9, 2013 for which he said no response came from Okupe.
Atere
further disclosed that the NTA appointed a producer for the proposed
programme who was liaising with the team from Okupe's office. According
to him, by October 23,
2013, he was directed by his boss the Executive Director News to raise a
memo to the Acting Director General NTA, informing him of the Okupe
request and that by October 24, 2013, the Director General minuted to
him that the programme should be taken as part
of corporate social responsibility and be broadcast at no cost.
Atere
informed the court that he didn't have much to do with the programme
from this point as the producer was liaising with Okupe's team.
He
revealed that Dr Okupe provided the three guests that discussed weekly
on the programme as well as made arrangements to provide the presenters
of the programme. "So I
can't say what kind of arrangement was made in bringing guests, who
were experts and ministers, " Atere said.
According
to the veteran broadcaster, "Okupe never failed to provide guests and
anchor person but at one point the presenter failed to show up and so I
asked the producer
what went wrong and was told that the presenter said they were not
being paid by Dr Okupe," adding that "the presenter asked if NTA can
continue to sustain them but that the NTA said they could not pay as
they didn't know the arrangement. But we decided to
bring two presenters who were staffs of NTA who will not charge any
money apart from the salary being paid to them."
During
cross-examination by the defense counsel, Joe Kyari Gadzama SAN, Atere
told the court that he was not aware of the arrangements Okupe had with
the guests because that
was not part of the arrangement with the NTA, adding that he didn't
have any financial relationship with Okupe and didn't know what the
arrangement was or how he got the guests.
He was also asked about a letter signed by him regarding
a payment of N3,031,000 (Three Million, Thirty-One
Thousand Naira) from Okupe's office and the request of the NTA for more
money which, he told the court he could not recall writing any letter or
any money being
paid. "Like I said, I didn't have any financial relationship with them,
the producer will be in a better position to explain, but I never
collected any money," he said.
He also claimed there was a slight difference in the signature in the letter with him, even though the letter bore his name.
The case was adjourned to March 15, 2019.
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