The two prosecution witnesses in the on-going trial of the former Head
of Service of the
Federation, Stephen Oronsaye and others yesterday gave
contradictory evidences before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the trial within trial conducted by Justice Gabriel Kolawole to
ascertain the claim made by the second defendant, Osarenkhoe Afe, that
his statement was made under duress, the two witnesses, Mr. Mustapha
Gadanya and Nurudeen Suleiman gave contradictory testimonies.
Oronsaye and five others including Osarenkhoe Afe are standing trial
for an amended 35-count charge bordering on corruption and money
laundering.In their testimonies, the first witness, (PW2), an operative
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Gadanya told
the court that his team did not seize mobile phones, laptops and iPad
from the residence of Afe.While admitting
that a search warrant was executed at Afe’s residence in the Jabi Area
of Abuja, he however, denied the claim that the three items were carted
away from the house.
Gadanya, who was cross-examined by the counsel to the second
defendant, Mr. Oluwale Aladedoye, told Justice Kolawole, that the search
warrant was executed in 2011 on the order of a superior officer, based
on investigation being conducted on a petition against the defendant.
However, another EFCC witness, Nurudeen Suleiman, also an operative
of EFCC, who was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Oluwaleke
Atolagbe, admitted that he participated in the search of Afe’s house.
Under cross-examination by Aladedoye, the witness told the court that
during the search, items such as mobile phones, laptops and iPad and
other items were found in the house of the second defendant and taken
away to the office of the EFCC.
The witness further stated that the search team went in a company
with a mobile policeman, who was armed, to execute the search warrant.“I
knew the second defendant during the investigation of pension case. We
went to his house in Jabi and we executed a search warrant there and
recovered some items including laptop and iPad, envelope containing
documents from the Head of Service, Zenith Bank cheque book, letter
headed papers and some other items.
“We recorded all the items recovered from the search warrant of which
we signed and also, the second defendant and one of his witnesses
signed. Thereafter we returned to the office and we handed over what we
have recovered to Mustapha Gadanya.”
“We went to the second defendant house at about 11.30 am and returned
immediately after the search. The search took about 30 minutes. We went
in Mustapha’s car, four of us. I did not do any other thing on my
return aside handing over documents and items to Mustapha,” Suleiman
stated.
Justice Kolawole had ordered trial within trial in the case,
following a claim by the second defendant that his extra-judicial
statement made to the EFCC operatives was under durex.
However, the claim of the second defendant was being disputed by the
EFCC, which counter-claimed that the statement was freely made in the
interrogation hall of the commission.Further trial has been adjourned
till July at the instance of parties in the trial.
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