A former Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, said on Monday he was not aware that former First Lady, Dame Patience, was a one-time permanent secretary in Bayelsa State.
Dudafa was testifying during hearing in Mrs. Jonathan’s suit before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The ex-First Lady was seeking to unfreeze her accounts with $15.5million.
Counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, asked Dudafa during cross examination to confirm that Mrs. Jonathan was appointed as a permanent secretary in Bayelsa State on June 22, 2012.
The witness said: “The appointment was not within my purview, so I don’t know anything about that.”
Asked if he was aware that Mrs. Jonathan’s appointment was confirmed on July 23, 2012, Dudada said: “I don’t know.”
EFCC then showed Dudafa Mrs. Jonathan’s letters of appointment and confirmation, and asked him to identify them.
The witness added: “I have not gone through the documents as I had no prior knowledge of them. But on the surface, they’re addressed to Mrs. Jonathan.”
Oyedepo and Dudafa engaged in a long game of hide and seek when the EFCC counsel asked if the witness deposed to his affidavit “on behalf of the plaintiff.”
Dudafa replied: “I deposed to my affidavit as a witness.”
“I have answered the question. I will not be cajoled. I don’t know if my statement was on behalf of anybody,” Dudafa replied when prodded further by Oyedepo.
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