Alex Enumah in Abuja
Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi, of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Gwarimpa, Abuja, on Tuesday admitted in evidence the sum of N50 million cash in an Access Bank account, as part payment to a police officer, to allegedly compromise his investigation over fraud allegations.
Justice Osho-Adebiyi, who admitted the cash payment, after they bank documents containing the funds were tendered by the police and not objected to by the defendant, subsequently ordered that the money, “be transferred to an interest yielding account by the Chief Registrar of the court pending the determination of the case.
The case is between the Inspector General of Police versus the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Duport Midstream Company Limited, Mr. Akintoye Akindele.
Akindele is standing trial on a one count charge of bribing a police official in order to compromise his investigation on alleged diversion of the sum of $5,636,397.01 and N73 million belonging to Summit Oil International Ltd.
He pleaded not guilty to the bribe allegation insisting the N50 million paid into an account offered him by the Police Investigation Officer, formed part of the debt owed the oil firm which he intends to repay.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the prosecution led by Audu Garuba, continued with the evidence of the Fifth Prosecution Witness (PW5), Stanley Chimaobi Nwokocha.
The PW5, who is the Investigation Police Officer in the bribery case against Akindele, informed the court that in the course of his investigation, he wrote Lotus, Providus and Access banks, adding that documentary evidence from the banks showed how the sum of N50 million was moved from Duport Midstream Account in Lotus bank on August 8, 2023, into Providus bank on August 9 and finally Access Bank account same August 9, 2023. According to the witness, the alleged bribe money from Duport was paid into an account belonging to one Sanimu Hamisu in Access Bank before it was transferred into the account of PW1 (Ibrahim Sini).
“The money is currently in Access Bank”, Garuba said, and went ahead to tender, the statement of account, account opening package from Access Bank, his investigation report, as well as certificate of compliance.
Akindele’s lawyer, Mrs. Funmi Quadri, SAN, however, did not object to the admittance of the documents.
Similarly, when the prosecution said, “the money is still there, I apply that the money be admitted”, Quadri did not object but added that the money be transferred to an interest yielding account.
Under cross examination, the PW5, admitted that he obtained statements from PW1(Ibrahim Sini) and PW4 (Edwin Elohor, a Deputy Commissioner of Police) respectively.
When asked to confirm that Akindele during investigation “kept saying that the N50 million was part payment of the money owed”, the witness said, “it is not true…he wrote his statement himself, he never admitted making any payment into the account.
After he was presented with the defendant’s statement wherein the defendant stated that the N50 million was part payment to summit oil, the witness explained that the said statement was made on the following day after he was confronted with the bribery allegation.
According to the witness Akindele had on the statement he wrote on 9th wrote did not admit making any transfer to the account but claimed he did and that the payment was part of what is owed in his statement of 10th.
Before closing her questioning of the witness Quadri prayed the court to admit statements of Sini and Elohor as evidence, which was granted by the judge.
The matter was subsequently adjourned till June 11, 17 and 18, for continuation of trial.
Akindele is being accused by the police of paying the sum of N50 million out of the N150 million he promised police investigators to compromise their report on alleged diversion of funds belonging to summit oil.
According to the police, the defendant had promised the leader of the police team (Ibrahim Sini), sent to Lagos to investigate compliant of fraud and alleged conversion of funds to personal use.
The police stated that Sini subsequently called his superior to inform him that the defendant had offered to give them the sum of N150 million in order to compromise their findings.
This information was immediately passed through to AIG Lafia and request to play along was sought with the goal of arresting the defendant.
The prosecution disclosed that after Sini was told to play along, Akindele subsequently asked for an account to pay the bribe money into.
“He informed me and I asked him to give him the account number of Blissom and Akindele then transferred the N50 million”, DCP Elohor had said during his own testimony, adding that the bribe was to release him on bail to travel overseas and also write a favourable report.
DCP Elohor had explained further that they decided to provide the account number so as to be able to “trace where he is paying the money from”.
He disclosed that immediately Sini received the money, he (Sini) sent to him and he subsequently sent it to the AIG, “and I believe the AIG sent to the IG”.
The one count charge marked: CR/595/2023, read: “That you Akintoye Akindele, male, 49 years, MD/CEO of Duport Midstream Company Limited of D2 Mambilla Close Osborne Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos between 5th and 9th August 2023 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court while being investigated by SP Ibrahim Ezekiel Sini and team on a petition submitted to the Inspector General of Police FIB by Summit Oil International Ltd on allegation of diversion of the sum of $5,636,397.01 Million USD and N73,543,763.25, you offered gratification of N150,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) and made part payment of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) to SP Ibrahim Sini, a public servant in circumstance and for the purpose of allowing you to escape abroad and to write a report in your favour and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 118 of the Penal Code Law.”
🚨 BREAKING: Watch the full clip here ➤
