A Bureau De Change operator, Mallam Sulaiman Oseni, on Monday gave graphic details of how he converted the sum of N111 million to United States of America Dollars for an official of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
He sated this in the ongoing trial of a former Executive Director of Maritime Labour & Cabotage Services of NIMASA, Barrister Callistus Nwabueze Obi, and three other before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had accused Nwabueze alongside Dismass Alu Adoon, Grand Pact Limited, and Global Sea Investment Limited of conspiracy, and stealing of the sum of N331 million belonging to NIMASA, in a charge marked FHC/L/148C/16.
At the resumed trial of the accused persons, Oseni informed the court that he converted N111 million to US Dollars for the second accused person Dismass Alu Adoon, on three occasions.
He told the court that he first converted to dollars the sum of N12 million, which he handed over to him at NIMASA’s office in Apapa.
He also informed the court that after the first transaction, the second accused sent the sum of N49.5 million on two occasions, which he equally changed to American Dollar, and handed over to the accused at Parkview, Ikoyi, Lagos.
However, during the cross examination by the accused lawyer, Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN), the witness told the court that he had known the accused before the transactions.
He also informed the court that he handed over the exchanged money to the accused the same day that he transferred the money into the account of Koloni’s account, the submission which was contradicted by the lawyer of the second accused.
Nwobike (SAN) had informed the court that the accused person was not in the country on the date claimed by the witness.
The witness also informed the court that he had never met the first accused person, Barrister Obi.
Earlier, EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, had led-in-evidence another Bureau De Change operator, Mallan Koloni Muhammed, who informed the court that he changed a total sum of $350,000 USD for the accused persons through Oseni.
Mohammed informed the court that he never applied for any job neither did he do any job for NIMASA before the money was paid into his account.
He explained that it was Mallam Oseni who collected his account details and gave it to the NIMASA officials who later paid in the money.
Besides, a marketer with Heritage Banks Plc, Mr. Saidu Yussuf, and a Compliant Officer with Access Bank Plc, Oliver Ewerem also testified before the court.
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In his testimony, Yusuf informed the court that the first accused person, Barrister Obi is the only signatory to Global Seal Investment Limited.
He also informed the court how the Global Seal account received from the NIMASA’s Committee of Intelligence the sum of N15 million, and how the money was transferred to different individuals’ accounts.
Also, the Access Bank Plc Compliant Officer, Mr. Ewerem informed the court how the Global Seal Investment Limited, and Knight Sheriff Limited, received the sum of N15 million each from the account of NIMASA’s Committee on Intelligence gathering.
The trial has been adjourned till Tuesday for continuation.
