Alleged N27bn fraud: I can’t ascertain total amount transfered to my accounts by Taraba LGs — EFCC witness

The third prosecution witness (PW3) in the ongoing trial of former Taraba State Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku and another defendant on Thursday told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that he could not ascertain the total amount of money transferred to his accounts by local governments in the state.

Ishaku and a former Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Sylvanus Oriji at Maitama, Abuja, on a 15-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds totalling N27 billion.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/792/2024, brought against them by the anti-corruption commission on behalf of the Federal Government.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Jones, while being cross-examined by counsel to the former governor, Chris Umar, SAN, told the court that although he could not ascertain the total amount transferred to his company, P3 Cornerstone’s account, he could only recall that between N6 billion and N8 billion had been transferred by the local governments.

He confirmed to the court that he was the Chief Executive Officer of P3 Cornerstone, adding that the company was established to engage in general contracting, import and export, car sales, farming, and the oil and gas business, among other activities.

According to Jones, “Various amounts of money were transferred into this account (P3 Cornerstone’s account) by local governments in the state (Taraba) based on instructions. I cannot ascertain the total amounts.

“The only ones I can (ascertain) is between N6 billion and N8 billion.”

He told the court that he transferred various amounts of money to one Prince Onwuzulike, with whom he claimed he had no personal relationship, adding that Onwuzulike was a personal assistant to the Permanent Secretary, Bello Yero.

The PW3 insisted that all deposits and withdrawals he made from the company’s account were based on instructions from the second defendant.

When asked to produce the directives, Jones told the court that he had received only verbal instructions, adding, “I don’t have any recordings of the second defendant’s verbal directives.”

Responding to questions about a company in which he had earlier told the court that he and the second defendant were signatories to its account, Jones said Octopus Farms Nigeria Limited had been in existence since 2014, before he joined the Taraba State Government in 2015.

He said both he and the second defendant were involved in farming, adding that they bought and sold grains.

He confirmed that he carried out various transactions through the company’s account between 2019 and 2022 while serving as an employee of the Taraba State Government.

According to the prosecution witness, “All the things I did with this account were based on instructions. It is possible that I might have transferred money from P3 Cornerstone to Octopus’ account.”

Following an application by counsel to the former governor, Umar, SAN, Justice Oriji adjourned the case until Monday, November 2, for the continuation of the cross-examination of the third prosecution witness.