19th April, 2016
The prosecution rounded off its examination in chief of Micheal Wetkas, the first prosecution counsel in the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki on 13-count charge of false assets declaration on Monday afternoon with evidence aimed at puncturing some of the defence the former Kwara State Governor had put up.
Saraki had insisted that he acquired the different properties that have been linked to him in Abuja and Lagos through farming and trading.
He also claimed that some of the properties linked to him belonged either to Toyin, his wife or her family.
But while being led in evidence on Monday, Wetkas said the Senate President never declared that he had a farm, orchard or any factory in the different assets declaration forms he filled during the eight years he spent as governor.
The witness said when the Senate President’s wife was invited, she denied having anything to do with the finances of the companies.
“We invited Ojora Oluwatoyin in the course of the investigation because the statement of account of Carliste Property and Skyview, her names featured as signatory to the accounts of the companies.
“We invited her to clarify some transactions in the account of the companies. She said she doesn’t participate in the activities and disbursement of funds by the companies,” said Wetkas.
He listed the companies Saraki was having controlling shares in as indicated in information gathered during a raid on the residence of the Senate President to include Skyview Properties Ltd, Carlite Properties and Inv Ltd, Babs Trading and Manufacturing Ltd, Better Foods Ltd, Linkers Ltd, Orion -Agro Ltd, PPI Ltd, Babston Ltd and in Exhibit one, item 3, the defendant said he has substantial shares in Haussenan Ltd, Tiny Tee Nig. Ltd.
He added that documentation on Tiny Tee Ltd, from Corporate Affairs Commission indicated that the promoters of the company are Chief Mrs Ojuolape Ojora, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, Chief Adekunle Ojora and Dr Bukola Saraki as at October 1993.
“Then at the beginning of the tenure of the defendant (Saraki) in exhibit one( Assets declaration form filled by Saraki in 2003) the defendant did not declare that he owns a ranch, farms or factories.
“Exhibit 4 (Assets declaration form) made in July 2015- there is column for ranch, orchards, farms, but nothing was said by him (Saraki) in the form.
“Also in column for factories and other enterprises, nothing was also declared. Exhibit 5- (Asset Declaration form) in exhibit five, in the same column, he said ‘I do not have, that is what we have there,” said Wetkas.
In the same vein, he also said Saraki failed to declare No 3 Targus Street, one of his two houses in Maitaima on the Assets declaration form he filled in 2007 and 2011 respectively.
He added that the defendant obtained a loan of N375 million from GTB on 11 February, which he did not declare in the Assets declaration that he made on 3 June, 2011.
“The loan which he used to buy a house in London was not declared in the assets declaration forms of 2011,” said the witness.