Arms deal: No contract between ONSA and Dokpesi’s company – Witness

By Vivian Okejeme
Abuja

A prosecution witness and former Director, Administration and Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser, Shuaibu Salisu Abdulmalik, yesterday told Justice James Tsoho, of a Federal High Court, Abuja, how Chief Raymond Dokpesi and his company, DAAR Investment Company Ltd got N2.1billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser without executing any contract.
According to him, the then NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retired), did not tell him the purpose for which the money was meant, but he (Salisu) only used his initiative to tie it to “media campaign” for proper documentation.

Dokpesi, who was initially arraigned on December 9, 2015 before Justice Gabriel Kolawole on a 6-count charge bordering on money laundering, breach of public trust and procurement fraud, was later re-arraigned before Justice Tsoho of the same High Court on February 17, 2016.
Delivery his testimonial, Salisu said between 2010 and 2015, he was posted to the ONSA as Principal Staff Officer, Presidential Air fleet Account, from where he was made Director, Administration and Finance in the same office.
“My schedule of duty includes administration, finance duties which include preparation of budget, salary payment, liaising with the Accountant General office, Ministry of Finance, general payment in the office and any other payment the NSA directed me to make.”
Continuing, the witness admitted knowing the defendant sometime in mid January 2015, “when the then former NSA, Colonel Dasuki, gave me the phone number of Mr. Dokpesi that I should call him and he would give me an account number where I will pay in N500million.

“When I called him that this is what the NSA had directed me to do, Dokpesi said he would send his PA, I can’t remember her name. He sent the PA to my office, and I noticed it was a personal account details bearing the name, Raymond Dokpesi.
“I then called Dokpesi and told him that the CBN will not pay in money to a personal account, it has to be an account with a company name. So, he now promised to get back to me, and the PA left. The next day, she came back with First Bank details of Daar Communications Ltd, from where I collected it and made the payment mandate for the NSA signature as directed by him.”
When asked the purpose the money was made for, the witness said the NSA did not give him any, “so I have to develop reason to enable the CBN make the payment.
“I developed the reason “media campaign” the NSA did not give me reason for the payment.”

After preparing the mandate, “I took it to the NSA for signature, he was satisfied and he signed it, and I signed my own part and took it to the CBN. There was no contract between ONSA and Dokpesi’s company.
“Sometimes, 1st of February, the NSA called me to pay the sum of N500million into Daar Communications Ltd account, I already have the account and I paid.
“After preparing the payment mandate, I took it to the NSA for his signature as usual, from where I now take it to the CBN for payment. In the same February, I was called by the NSA to make additional payment of N620million, which I did, following the normal process.
“Again in March 2015, the NSA called me and said we are making additional N500million into the account of Daar Communications and Holdings Ltd. I prepared the mandate, took it to the NSA who approved and put his signature. I took the mandate to the CBN for payment.

“I countersigned those four payment mandates in my capacity as Director, Administration and Finance, ONSA. The total amount was N2.1billion and I developed the “reason” because for the CBN to make any payment there must be a “reason” for it. The NSA did not give me any reason”.
When asked if there was a contract, Salisu maintained that “to the best of my knowledge, there was no contract between Dokpesi, Daar Communications Ltd and ONSA because I was the one in charge of signing contracts on behalf of the NSA.”
On purchase of security equipment involving military hard wares, he said, “it was the first time the ONSA was involved when I assumed duty, General Aliyu Gusau was not into purchase of military equipment and hard wares.

“The process of purchasing security equipment to the best of my knowledge started during the tenure of Azazi and continued during Dasuki.”
Responding to the inquiry as to whether there was media budget, the witness said, “as far as I am concerned, this was the first time we made payment for media campaign from the ONSA, there was no budget for media campaign.”
Under cross examination by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, the witness said he made statement on the matter once and that he wrote the statement.
He also admitted not making any reference to the 1st and 2nd defendant’s names from pages 83 to 104, in his witness statement.
Meanwhile, the trial Judge adjourned the matter to February 7 and 8, 2017, for continuation of trial.