Ibrahim Musa, a prosecution witness, has told the Federal High Court, Abuja that the Chairman of ASD Motors, Alhaji Sani Dauda, never told him he gave money to bribe former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.
Musa was testifying on Thursday as EFCC’s 12th witness in the ongoing alleged bribery charge filed by the commission against of Senator Shehu Sani following a complaint from Dauda.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Sani was arraigned by the EFCC on January 27, 2020 on a two-count charge bordering on criminal misrepresentation, obtaining money by false pretence and bribery.
The commission alleged that Sani collected $25,000 from Dauda to bribe some senior judges and Magu in an alleged case involving Dauda.
Musa, a Police Officer said: “When Dauda met me at the EFCC headquarters, he told me that Sani while on a visit to console him over his arrest and detention by the police in Kaduna in December 2019, said that what happened to him was a humiliation.
“Sani told Dauda that he had met with the CJN who said he will need N1 million to bribe four judges who will entertain the case against the ASD Motors chairman.
“Dauda said he transferred N5 million to a bureau de change and $13,000 was sent to him.
“He said he had some money on him and he gave Sani $15,000.”
The witness said Dauda also told him that Sani returned on December 20, 2019 and asked for more money for the prosecutor.
He added: “Dauda told me that Sani said the EFCC Chairman (Magu) also needed something as well.
“He said after he gave the money to Sani, he stopped taking his calls and also ignored his text messages.
“Dauda said he met Magu on board a plane from Dubai and reported the matter to him.
“This is what the complainant told me.”
The witness said the former chairman instructed him to take Dauda’s statement.
He said that when the former senator eventually reported to the EFCC office, he was detained and his phones were taken from him.
The witness also told the court that as part of their investigations, both the mobile phones of Sani and Dauda were sent to their laboratory for forensic evaluation.
He said the evaluation revealed that there was communication between them and there were also withdrawals and deposits made.
He added that Sani agreed that he visited the complainant but denied collecting money from him.
Under cross examination, the witness told the court that Dauda brought $25,000 to the EFCC, saying Sani returned the money to him.
He said that the complainant did not tell him if there were witnesses when he gave the former senator the money or when the money was returned to him.
The witness also told the court that he interviewed Magu although he did not write down his statement.
The witness was shown a profoma invoice which he identified as being for the purchase of a Peugeot 508 saloon car from ASD Motors.
The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, adjourned the matter until November 15, 16 and 17 for continuation of trial.
NAN reports that the former senator was arraigned by the EFCC for bribery, name-dropping and influence peddling.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Sani fraudulently obtained $25,000 from Dauda.
He was accused of collecting the money under false pretence that it would be used to bribe Magu so as to shield Dauda from investigation and prosecution.
The former senator, however, pleaded not guilty to all the allegations.
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