A Taraba State Government cashier instructed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Wednesday that he by no means had any interraction with former Governor Darius Ishaku all through the time he acquired funds suspected to be diverted from the state’s coffers into his accounts.
But the prosecution witness repeatedly mentioned he acquired instructions relating to the suspicious funds from Mr Ishaku’s co-defendant with whom the previous governor is dealing with prices of diverting N27 billion belonging to the state.
Taiwo Jones, the third prosecution witness introduced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), mentioned this whereas persevering with his part-heard testimony on Wednesday.
During the proceedings, Mr Jones, who has been testifying since June, fielded questions underneath cross-examination by Mr Ishaku’s lawyer, Chris Umar, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Mr Jones had detailied throughout earlier proceeedings how he acquired funds from Taraba State native governments into his firm’s checking account.
EFCC suspects the funds are a part of the N27 billion Mr Ishaku and his co-defendant, Bello Yero, diverted from Taraba State’s coffers.
The anti-graft company accused Governor Ishaku and Mr Yero, then-Permanent Secretary of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of Taraba State, of diverting N27 billion belonging to the state authorities and a few native governments within the state.
Mr Ishaku, who ruled Taraba State between May 2015 and May 2023, and his co-accused face 15 counts of legal breach of belief, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion for private use.
The duo denied the allegations.
In July, Mr Jones confirmed receiving N1.8 billion via his firm’s account on Mr Yero’s instruction for onward disbursements to others.
He instructed the courtroom that he ran an organization, P3 International, which he used for his farming enterprise earlier than becoming a member of the civil service as an assistant cashier within the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs of Taraba State.
On 5 October, the witness narrated how Taraba State’s Local Government subvention funds had been despatched into his firm’s account.
Continuing his testimony the next day, 6 October, he mentioned some funds had been despatched into two of his private accounts, and Mr Yero gave verbal instructions to disburse the funds.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, defence lawyer Mr Umar, trying to exonerate the previous governor, requested Mr Jones whether or not Mr Ishaku additionally gave him verbal instructions. The witness mentioned no.
Mr Jones went on to inform the courtroom that he had no private and social relationship with the previous governor.
“The first defendant (Mr Ishaku) was not working with the Bureau (in Taraba). He by no means gave me any instructions.
“I don’t have any personal or social relationship with the first defendant,” the witness mentioned.
When requested to substantiate the full sum of money from the Taraba State Government into all his accounts, Mr Jones mentioned he couldn’t.
Answering additional questions, the witness acknowledged that he held a grasp’s diploma in enterprise administration and accounting and was a professional chartered accountant. He added that he was effectively conscious of each civil service guidelines {and professional} requirements.
Asked by the defence lawyer, Mr Umar mentioned he wouldn’t do something opposite to the foundations.
Yero’s instructions, enterprise relationship, reference to governor’s workplace
The witness famous that he disbursed funds on the instruction of his superiors, together with Mr Yero.
He maintained in his 6 October testimony that he disbursed the funds on the instructions of Mr Yero, Chief Cashier John Columba, and Director of Finance within the state, Babangida Hassan.
He mentioned he additionally handed funds to Mr Babangida and the ALGON chairman within the state, but added, “I did not hand over money to the second defendant but to Dare Lawal, but he (Mr Yero) was always there to confirm.”
The witness additionally confirmed driving Mr Yero on some events with a ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bag to the Government House in Taraba.
“I never followed the second defendant into the governor’s office,” he mentioned, including, “I was not inside the governor’s office with him. I wouldn’t know if the funds taken to Government House were used to pay some people.”
He additionally disclosed that he had a enterprise relationship with Mr Yero.
According to him, they based Octopus Farm Nigeria Limited and had been each signatories to the corporate’s account with United Bank for Africa (UBA).
“Beyond civil service, I am a business partner with the second defendant, and that was before I joined civil service,” he mentioned.
Trial choose Slyvanus Oriji adjourned the case until Thursday (22 October).
READ ALSO; Ex-Taraba Gov Ishaku administration’s officers used my financial institution accounts to receive, disburse funds – Witness
Key testimonies from earlier hearings
Dare Lawal and Prince Onwuzurike earlier testified within the trial as the primary and second prosecution witnesses, respectively.
The narrated to the courtroom of their separate testimpnies their roles within the disbursement of the funds for which the EFCC is prosecuting former Governor Ishaku and Mr Yero.
Mr Lawal labored beforehand for former Governor Ishaku’s non-public enterprise earlier than serving as his private assistant throughout his governorship, and testified nearly all through final 12 months.
He testified elaborately on how he acquired thousands and thousands from numerous state authorities officers, together with Mr Yero, on behalf of Mr Ishaku.
Testifying because the second prosecution witness in February, Mr Onwuzurike, who alluded to his private relationship with Mr Yero, instructed the courtroom that he acquired cash via his account and withdrew it on the directives of Mr Yero.
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