An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, DSP Ibrahim Galadima, on Tuesday told an FCT High Court in Gudu that ex-Taraba State Governor, Jolly Nyame, deposited N180 million to buy a house in Abuja.
Galadima said this while being cross-examined by Nyame’s Counsel, Olalekan Ojo.
Nyame is standing trial on a 41-count charge of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and gratification of N1.64billion of Taraba state funds.
Galadima, who headed the investigation team in 2007, also said the actual figure was N200 million signed by Nyame for the purchase of stationeries for the state.
He said his team discovered that N200 million was paid by the Taraba State Government to Ibrahim Abubakar, the Managing Director of Salman Global Ventures Limited.
The witness said the company was into property business and the managing director was Nyame’s friend.
He said: “Out of this amount, N180 million was deposited for a house in 8, Yaounde Street, Wuse Zone 2 in Abuja where Nyame intended to buy.”
Galadima also revealed that N20 million was shared between the then Commissioner for Finance, one Mr. Tutare, and N8 million was given to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, one Mr. Asabe.
This all happened in 2005.
He said they were all invited by the EFCC and they all testified to this.
Galadima confirmed that another N165 million was again released by the former governor for the same purpose and N16 million was given to Baba Garba to purchase these equipments.
He also said that N101 million earmarked for a presidential reception in 2005 was diverted, adding that President Olusegun Obasanjo never reached Jalingo where he was supposed to be entertained.
“Obasanjo took a helicopter to Mambila village and from there he left. He did not get to Jalingo where he was to be entertained,” Galadima said.
The DSP replied that there were memos and approvals for all the monies as discovered in his investigations into the Taraba State Government House accounts.
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