A prosecution witness in the trial of a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Haliru Bello before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja today narrated how he made payments to account of Bam Projects on the directives of a former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
At the resumed trial on March 18, 2021, the ninth prosecution witness,PW9, Shuaibu Salisu, an official of the National Intelligence Agency, while explaining to the court the procedure for making payment in his capacity as former Director, Finance and Administration, ONSA said he made payment to Bam projects after he was "given bank details by the former NSA to effect the payment of Three Hundred Million Naira to Bam project"
Salisu told the court that he carried out the instruction, prepared payment mandate which he took to the NSA to append his signature and then forwarded to the bank to effect payment.
The witness further told the Court that N300 million was paid into a sterling bank account and the purpose of the payment was described as 'payment for safe house'
Salisu however told the court that the description of the payment was not given to him by the former NSA.
" The purpose was not given to me by the NSA , I generated it by myself because you cannot submit mandate without a purpose"
The witness said he was not aware of any contract for which the payment of N300 million was made.
During cross examination by Solomon Umoh SAN, Sanusi explained that the Instructions to make payment was given verbally by the former NSA while the details of account and amount were written.
He pointed out that Dasuki signed the mandate for all the approvals.
The matter has been adjourned till June 1, 2021 for continuation of trial.
Haliru Bello, his son, Abba Mohammed and their company, Bam Projects and Properties Limited are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly receiving the sum of N300 million from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.). They are facing a four-count charge bordering on money laundering.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Bello Abba Mohammed, Bam Projects and Properties Ltd and Dr. Haliru Bello on or about 17th March 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, took possession of the sum of N300 million paid into the account of BAM Projects and Properties Limited with Sterling Bank Plc from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser with the CBN when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the then National Security Adviser to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section (15) (3) of the same Act."