The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Wednesday, admitted as evidence a statement by the first prosecution witness in the suit involving a former governor of Taraba state, Darius Ishaku, and a former permanent secretary of the state’s Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bello Yero.
The trial judge, Sylvanus Oriji, admitted the confessional statement written by Ismail Lawal, a personal assistant to the former governor, when he was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The statement in question allegedly contained the details of the accounts and persons to whom money was transferred by the witness on the instructions of the former governor.
The EFCC is prosecuting Messrs Ishaku and Yero on 15 counts relating to criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds amounting to N27 billion.
Mr Ishaku’s counsel, P. A. Ogbole, had objected to the admissibility of the evidence, citing the lack of a video recording, the absence of a legal representative or independent witness during the statement writing and possible coercion of the witness while in detention. (Premium Times)