D)
Exhibit R3, a Further Statement of Mr. Japheth Wubon, the Permanent
Secretary at the Liaison Office dated the 19th of May 2010---tendered by the
Defence Counsel through PW5 and
E)
Exhibit X2, the Further Statement of Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed
dated the 10th day of July 2007---tendered through PW8.
Now, after a careful consideration of the above, the Court ‘s approach will be
to initially identify the FACT that the Monies in the above listed Counts of
Offences were actually sent from Jalingo to the Taraba State Liaison Office
and then determine WHY they were remitted and FOR WHOSE BENEFIT.
PW3, Mr. Olubunmi Ogunode from Zenith Bank Plc., had tendered the
Statement of Account of Taraba State Abuja Liaison Office and had
demonstrated the Entries into and from the Account of the Taraba State
Liaison Office. There was only One Particular Person who withdrew the
Amounts demonstrated in Cash and that was Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed
from the Abuja Liaison Office.
He Specifically Identified the Sums of the Monetary Transactions involving
Withdrawals in Counts 16, 20, 25, 29, 30, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41
and the Transactions involving the Lodgment of the Funds, which identified
practically all the Counts under this head. This Witness categorically stated
that he did not personally take part in the investigation of these transactions
and only printed out the requested document from the Bank’s Records. He
also could not state the purpose for which the withdrawals were made.
In their Final Written Address, Learned Counsel for the Defence had
challenged the basis and essence of PW3’s testimony by stating that he only
read out from Exhibit M and was not a Staff of the Bank when the
Transactions occurred. Upon a comeback on this point by Learned Senior
Counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, in the Complainant’s Final Written Address, the
Defence Counsel subsequently submitted that he did not contend that PW3
is not a Competent Witness, but had only argued that the evidence of PW3 is
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