3rd February, 2020
The fourth prosecution witness (PW4), Abubakar Umar, in the ongoing trial of former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam on Monday told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he has been under pressure to change his statement in favour of the defendant
Suswam alongside his former Commissioner of Finance, Okolobia Okpanach, is facing prosecution on a nine count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N3.1 billion, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice Abang.
At today’s hearing, the PW4, a Bureau De Change operator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Fantfash Resources, Umar, told the court that some influential people have been calling on him, persuading him to change his statement against his former boss, Suswam.
Umar told the court how Suswam called and instructed him to meet his lawyer, J. P. Daudu (SAN), who will tell him what to do.
“He called and told me to go and see his lawyer, J P Daudu, and when I got there, Daudu asked why did I wrote my statement the way I did. I told him to ask the person who sent me to him (Suswam). Daudu now told me to leave since it is like this”, he stated.
Umar also gave account of how his account was credited with huge amount of N413 million on August 8, 2014, adding that the first money that entered his account was the huge amount from Elixir Investment.
The witness confessed that it took him about eight to 10 days to change the money from Naira to Dollars and before then, there wasn’t much money in the account.
According to him, on September 12, 2014, another N637 million was deposited into the account of Fantfash and after one or two hours, another N363 million, was also deposited into the account. Umar said he changed the money to Dollars before taking it to the former governor, Suswam.
He also revealed that on October 13, 2014, another N630 million was also deposited into the account of Fantfash Resources.
Umar also told the court that on October 17, 2014, Elixir Investment again paid into Fantfash Resources, the sum of N1.68 billion which he also used to buy Dollars, adding that it took him a period of 12 days, to buy the Dollars and thereafter called his former boss, Suswam, to let him know that the Dollars were ready, before taking it to him.
According to the PW4, he was the only person that delivered the money to Suswam adding that it was because he was the only one that the defendant gave instructions to send the money to Fantfash Resources, and exchange the money in Dollars before bringing them to him.
The witness told the court that in all the transactions, he never visited Benue State in his life.
While being cross-examined by the defence counsel, C O Ogbozor, about his earlier statement that he took the money to the Government House in Benue State, Umar confirmed making such statement but added that he made the statement under pressure.
“Yes, I recall saying that, but I was being pressured then. But no, I didn’t take it to Benue Government House. I took it to Government House but I never mentioned Benue or anywhere”, he stated.
Justice Abang adjourned the matter till February 4 and 5, 2020, for further cross-examination and continuation of trial.
Two years ago, Abubakar Umar also recanted the evidence he gave to EFCC, with the anti-graft agency crying foul. The case then was before Justice Ahmed R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Umar had on November 22, 2017 narrated how he helped the former governor to convert the sum of N3.111 billion into dollars (which amounted to $15.8 million), between August and October 2014.
Umar, who is the PW4, said he converted the money and took same to Suswam at his house in Maitama, Abuja but later changed and told the court that he took the money to Government House, Benue State.
Prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs,SAN, who noted that Umar’s testimony before the court was contradictory to the evidence he gave in a statement he volunteered to the EFCC, urged the court to declare him a hostile witness.
Consequently, Justice Mohammed ordered Jacobs to cross-examine the witness on his contradiction in his oral testimony as to where he took the money to, and also the circumstances that led to him giving that statement.
At the resumed sitting on Wednesday, January 31, Jacobs showed Umar his statement of August 12, 2016 and sought to tender same in evidence.
Umar’s statement in the document was made through an interpreter, Idris Yakubu, who happens to be his (Umar) brother in-law.
Umar, while reading from his statement through the court’s interpreter said, “On my last day in court, the evidence I gave to the court in respect of Gabriel Suswam’s case regarding the N3.1 billion for purchase of dollars that I gave him in his house was not the right one. I gave a wrong statement due to the pressure from people close to the former governor. I received calls to change my statement in order that I would be compensated with money”.
J. P Daudu, SAN, counsel to Suswam, objected to the admissibility of the document relying on Section 83(3) of the Evidence Act saying, “for the interested person in the dispute which is sought to be resolved, the statement should have been made in his own hands but was done by one Idris Yakubu and so there should be a jurat for the disposition to be satisfactory.”