Godwin Tsa Abuja

A prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Farouk Suleiman, yesterday, told the Abuja division of the  Federal High Court how he handed $9, 084, 700 in cash to an oil magnate, Aliyu Abubakar and his agent, A. U. Mustapha.

Suleiman who is the fourth prosecution witness (PW4) was testifying in the 14-count money laundering charge against former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke and Aliyu Abubakar.

In his evidence before Justice Inyang Ekwo, the witness, who is a Bureau de Change (BDC) operator, gave details of how he received N2 billion from Abubakar and converted some to dollars.

Led by the prosecution counsel, the PW4 gave the names of some of his businesses as Farsman Holdings Limited and Farsman BDC.

He said he was introduced to Abubakar in 2011 following which the second defendant approached him sometime in 2013 to help convert N2 billion to dollars.

The witness, who gave a break down of how and when he handed the dollars to Abubakar and Mustapha, said both men signed the receipts he issued to them acknowledging collecting the cash from him.

Sanga later tendered copies of the receipts, which the court admitted in evidence as Exhbits PW4 A1 – A6.

Adoke’s counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN) did not cross-examine the witness when Suleiman concluded his evidence in chief.

Under cross examination by Abubakar’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, the witness said the second defendant’s name was not written on the cheques, but that he (Abubakar) handed the seven cheques drawn in the name of Equal Access to him.

The witness admitted that neither Abubakar nor Mustapha produced written document indicating that the lawyer was acting as his (Abubara’s agent.

Suleiman, however, said the second defendant told him to hand the money to the lawyer, who came to his office on five occasions to collect dollars in cash.

At the conclusion of Suleiman’s testimony, Sanga sought an adjournment to enable him produce the fifth prosecution witness, on whom a subpoena had been issued.

The trial judge warned the the Commission against several requests for adjournment.

Justice Ekwo told the prosecuting counsel to note that there was a limit to the number of adjournments he could request for. Hearing continues September.