The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has opened its case in the ongoing trial of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and three others when it presented its first witness, Mohammed Babansule, a relationship manager with the First City Monument Bank.
According to a statement on Wednesday by the EFCC’s head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, the witness, who is the account manager of the sixth defendant, Josmon Technologies Ltd, during his examination-in-chief, told the court the account opening form and other documents submitted to the bank showed that the fourth defendant, Apeh, is the signatory to the account.
Babansule said the account of Josmon Technologies Ltd which was opened in 2015 was allocated to him in June 2018.
The prosecution counsel, O. I. Uket, thereafter asked the court to admit in evidence, copies of the account opening package, Corporate Affairs Commission’s registration forms with copies of the director’s international passport and utility bill.
With no objection from the defense counsel, Justice Charles Agbaza admitted the documents as exhibit 1 to 33 and adjourned the matter to January 21, 2021, for the continuation of the trial.
Lawal along with his younger brother, Hamidu Lawal; Suleiman Abubakar; Monday Apeh and two companies; Rholavision Engineering Ltd., and Josmon Technologies Ltd as standing trial before Justice Agbaza of a Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja on a 10-count charge bordering on diversion of funds, criminal conspiracy and official corruption to the tune of N544m.
The defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Agbaza on November 30, 2020, after the demise of Justice Jude Okeke who had been hearing the matter.
