Abdulrahman Mohammed, an accountant with the Rural Electrification Board, Jalingo, Taraba State, who is a key witness in the prosecution of a former Governor of Taraba State, Rev. Jolly Nyame, on Wednesday told Justice Adebunkola Banjoko of an Abuja High Court how 20 Zenith Bank Plc cheques valued at over N282 million were issued and the money withdrawn and given to the ex-governor in Abuja.
Nyame, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, is facing a 41 count charge of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and gratification, totaling N1.36 billion.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday, Mohammed said between 2003 and 2007, he was the Accountant, Taraba State Liaison Office, Abuja, where he was in charge of the accounts department.
Led in examination by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacob, Mohammed said any time the ex-governor was in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Jalingo will call the Permanent Secretary, Liaison Office, Abuja, Japheth Wubon, who will instruct him to go to the bank and withdraw money for Nyame.
Mohammed said that Wubon would in turn call on him to prepare a Zenith Bank cheque, which he would later cash and take to the former governor at the lodge on T.Y. Danjuma Street, Abuja.
He said he was always accompanied on the assignment by at least two police escorts and a driver.
He further told the court that the money, which was received by either Nyame or a steward, is always never receipted.
No voucher is equally signed by the governor.
Mohammed identified exhibits M and S, which are the Zenith Bank financial statements, and copies of the cheques he signed with which money was paid.
According to him, the money he withdrew for the ex-governor in 2006 were: March 13, N15.5 million; May 4, N25 million; June 16, N5 million; June 29, N25.020 million; July 21, N3 million; October 10, N5.010 million; October 31, N10 million; November 7, N20 million; November 13, N25.010 million.
The 2007 withdrawals Mohammed made for the ex-governor, according to his testimony before Justice Adebunkola were: January 8, N25 million; January 18, N15 million; January 30, N25 million; February 19, N20 million; March 7, N2.010 million; March 21, N4 million; March 24, N6 million; March 30, N20 million; and May 7, N20 million.
But the defence counsels, led by Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, objected to the cheques being tendered in evidence as he maintained that the cheques, having been drawn and received by Zenith Bank, upon which payments were made, cannot be tendered by the witness.
Fagbemi said: “The witness is a staff of Taraba State Government and not an employee of Zenith Bank.
“The document to be tendered is ordinarily in possession of Zenith Bank.
“How did the witness come in possession of these cheques?
“To me, it is a mystery.
“This is a criminal matter and the process by which the guilt of the accused is arrived at must be seen to be pure and clean.
“I urge your Lordship to reject these documents.”
But Jacobs, citing Section 147 and 148 of the Evidence Act, said in his reply that so long as “the witness wrote and signed the cheques during the period under scrutiny, he has link to the exhibit.
“I therefore urge my Lord to discountenance the objection.”
The judge adjourned the case to April 30, May 24 and 25, 2012.