A prosecution witness yesterday
narrated how the sum of $1million and land documents were recovered from former
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.
Badeh is standing trial on a
10-count charge of criminal breach of trust and money laundering of over N3billion
alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Ltd, a company believed to be owned by him.
Goji Mohammed, an operative of
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) testified that in February
2016, Badeh was released from detention after he was arrested for corruption
charges, and taken to his residence at No 2 Nelson Mandela Street, Asokoro,
Abuja where documents for landed properties were recovered.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel,
Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) he said based on intelligence report, the operatives swooped
on Badeh’s second house at No 6 Ogun River Street, Maitama, Abuja where in the
bedroom upstairs, EFCC operatives discovered a pack of kettle filled with 16
bundles of $50, 000 each, and another two sealed bundles of $100, 000 each
making a total of $1 million.
He also stated that the
investigating team recovered a red box containing a knife which had an
encrypted name and two way bills of furniture supplied to the building. When
the EFCC counsel sought to tender the exhibits from the second search, defence
counsel Lasun Sanusi (SAN) objected to their admissibility on the grounds that
since Badeh was not present during the search, the recoveries are a nullity.
Jacobs asked the court to admit
the exhibits based on sections 149 and 150 of the Administration of Criminal
Justice Act, 2016 because the warrant was signed by two witnesses. Justice Okon
Abang adjourned the case to February 23 for hearing.
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