The Economic and Financial Crimes Commisiion, EFCC witness, Ngunan Khawagh on Tuesday told an FCT Federal High Court how the former Head of Service, Stephen Orosanye diverted n800m fund of the Presidential Committee on the Financial Action Task Force for his personal use.
Khawagh alleged that Orasanye defrauded the Presidential Committee of Financial Task Force to the tune of n850m.
She claimed that the defendant opened an account with Access Bank for which he used in siphoning the money which members are not aware of.
“The team wrote a letter to Access Bank requesting for the account opening package and also requested for the statement of account and other information that will aide the commission in its investigation.”
“The bank responded by fashioning the commission with the account opening form signature spacemen form means of identification and instrument used in opening the account.”
EFCC told the court that it discovered that the account was opened in 2012 with Orosanye requesting for it which he signed as the Chairman of the committee.
“It was also discovered that the Access Bank account was not known to members of the committee and the Central Bank of Nigeria had funded the account through three transfers and the defendant also transferred n45m into the account”.
“The first transfer from CBN was n50m on October 2012, second transfer n90m in May 2013and the defendant paid n9m five times the same day”.
The anti-graft agency said the first n50m deposit was withdrawn by cheque and given to various people by the Orosanye.
“The second n90m was paid through a fixed deposit, n100m was paid into a fixed deposit also.
The commission added “n100m was also paid into a fixed deposit of n30m, n10m on the same day”.
Khawagh said the commission in its investigation discovered that Orosanye who is the sole signatory to the account issued cheques to various people though could identify the people as only their initials were written on the cheques.
“When invited to clarify the cheques and the names, Oronsaye said the intials were just names of his personal staff he issued the cheques to.”
The commission further noted that the Secretary to the committee, Jaheel Arabi denied knowledge of the Access bank account noting that the committee only has an approved account with Zenith bank.
The witness said the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation also denied knowledge of the Access Bank account stating it has not given any approval for such account.
Matter stood down again.
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