for N5 million and another for N120,000.00. He said he made photocopy of
the cheques where 1st defendant acknowledged receipt. When his account
was debited for the said sums, the 1st defendant gave him 2 receipts for the
sums paid.
The further evidence of PW1 is that 1st defendant gave him form to fill,
which he filled and returned to him. He made photocopy of the form. He
called the 1st defendant severally week after week for about 3 months and
each time, 1st defendant said he should give him the next week for the plot
and the drawings. Later, he met the 1st defendant and he promised to give
him [PW1] the drawings and to show him the plot the next month. After
several times of 1st defendant’s failure to give him the plot and drawings,
he became suspicious of the transaction. He then asked 1st defendant for
his money. The 1st defendant asked him to write a letter of refund of the N5
million and that it will be refunded within a week. 1st defendant said the
N120,000.00 is not refundable. He agreed and wrote the letter. At a point,
1st defendant stopped picking his calls and he did not refund the money.
He then wrote a petition to EFCC.
When PW1 was cross examined, he denied that the N5 million he paid was
to enable 1st defendant to get the necessary approvals for the project. After
the payment of N5 million, he did not go to the estate where they showed
him before he made payment. The 1st defendant did not tell him that they
are still processing the approval for the estate; he did not also tell him that
2nd defendant’s directors and the directors in Federal Capital Development
Authority [FCDA] are working on the approval.
4