The trial of Jide Omokore, an ally to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, in an alleged case of $1.6 billion oil fraud continued on Thursday before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, with the seventh prosecution witness, Olutaye Ayeni, testifying.
Omokore, is facing a nine-count amended charge of criminal diversion of funds to the tune of $1.6 billion alleged to be proceeds of petroleum products belonging to the federal government.
He is being prosecuted alongside Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, David Mbanefo, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Ayeni, Chief Executive Officer, Skymit Motors, in his evidence narrated how Omokore used his company (Atlantic Energy) to purchase cars for friends and associates. Led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, counsel to EFCC, Ayeni, who specialises in auto sales and a dealer in Mercedes Benz revealed how Omokore purchased series of cars from his company, to which he (Ayeni) received credit flow of over $8million between 2010 and 2015.
When asked of the relationship between his company and Omokore, the witness said, “I know Omokore for the past 32 years and we have been a business partner for over 24 years.
“The transaction between my company and the defendant’s company was the supply of vehicles to him”.
Explaining how the cars were supplied, Ayeni said, “Before 2015, the defendant was one of our customers. He used to order cars and we supply to him. Sometimes he pays cash advance and sometimes in credit”.
The PW7 stated that, “after the defendant had placed his order – the type, make of cars and possibly the colour; we make delivery directly to him (Omokore) and sometimes through his company staff”.
He added that deliveries of cars were usually not made to third party except on customer’s request.
“We don’t make deliveries to third party except our customer asks us to do so”, he said.
