A fifth prosecution witness in the ongoing fraud trial against former governor Ayodele Fayose, Musiliu Obanikoro Tuesday said he was informed two years ago that his late Special Assistant, Justin Erukaa, died in an accident.
Mr Obanikoro gave the evidence in continuation of his cross-examination by a second defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Fayose, the immediate-past governor of Ekiti state, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 22, 2018, alongside a company, Spotless Investment Ltd, on an 11-count charge.
He had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of N50 million, with one surety in like sum.
EFCC had opened the case for prosecution on November 19, 2018 and had called four witnesses
On January 21, 2018, the prosecution called its fifth witness, Obanikoro, a former minister of state for defence.
At the last adjourned date on February 5, Obanikoro was still under cross-examination by the second defence counsel (Ojo), who had sought to tender the extra judicial statement of Justin Erukaa, made to EFCC in the course of their investigation.
In reaction, the prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs, had objected to the admissibility of the said statement, on the grounds that counsel was seeking to tender the document from the Bar, with which he wants to contradict a witness from the Bar.
Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of five million dollars (about N1.8 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution and which sum exceeded the amount allowed by law.
He was also alleged to have retained the sum of N300 million in his Zenith Bank account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622 million, which sum he ought to have known, formed part of crime proceeds.
Fayose was alleged to have procured De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, to retain in their Zenith and FCMB accounts, the aggregate sums of N851 million which they reasonably ought to have known, formed part of crime proceeds.
Besides, the defendant was alleged to have used the aggregate sums of about N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, which sums he reasonably ought to have known, formed part of crime proceeds.
The accused was also alleged to have used the sum of N200 million to acquire a property in Abuja, in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji, which sum he ought to know, also forms crime proceeds.
The offences contravene the provisions of Sections 15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011. (NAN)
