A prosecution witness, Adewale Agunbiade, on Monday, narrated before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, how former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, allegedly received multiple transfers of N5.2 million from Jide Sotirin Abiodun, a staff member of Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd.
Agunbiade told the court that Agunloye received the funds from Abiodun via multiple transfers and ATM withdrawals.
Agunbiade, a compliance officer now with Jaiz Bank Plc who formerly worked at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), testified in the ongoing trial led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on corruption charges.
EFCC is prosecuting Agunloye on seven-count charges, bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of the Mambilla Power Project contract to the tune of $ 6 billion to Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd.
While being questioned by prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, Agunbiade revealed that in October 2022, GTB received an inquiry from the EFCC about Agunloye and Abiodun’s accounts.
“On October 2022, GTB received an investigation activity inquiry from EFCC in respect of the accounts of two customers, Mr Olu Agunloye and Mr Jide Sotinri,” Agunbiade said.
“My team received the requests on behalf of the bank, following which I generated the statement of account via the system used by me at the time. I also prepared the Certificate of Identification, following my review of the statement against the records of the bank. I cosigned the cover letter of the responses.”
The prosecution counsel then presented documents, including letters between the EFCC and GTB (marked as Exhibit 1a and 2a), as well as GTB’s account responses (Exhibit 2a and 2b).
Agunbiade identified and confirmed these documents, saying “On page two of Exhibit 2b is the statement of Jide Sotirin Abiodun and the Certificate of Identification prepared by me on the statement of the account. On the 10th of September 2019, there were six transactions.
“The last five transactions were ATM cash withdrawals of N30,000 each. The last transaction on 10 August 2019 was a transfer of N3,600,000.00 from Sotirin Jide Abiodun to Olu Agunloy.”
The witness also revealed additional transfers from Abiodun to Agunloye, including N500,000 on October 22, 2019, and N1,121,000 on November 13, 2019.
He disclosed that “as of 22 October 2019, a record of N500,000.00 was transferred from Sotirin Jide Abiodun to Olu Agunloye. On 13 November 2019, a record of N1,121,000 from Leno in favour of Agunloye Olu from Jide Sotirin. Exhibit 1b is an account opening belonging to Agunloye Olu. On 10 August 2019 was an inward transfer of N3,600,000.00 from Sotinrin Jide Abiodun. On 22 October 2019, there was an inflow of N500,000 from Sotirin Jide Abiodun. Also on 13th November 2019 was an inflow of N1, 121,000 (One Million One Hundred and Twenty-one Thousand Naira) in favour of Agunloye Olu from Jide Sotirin.”
The case was adjourned until Monday, October 21, 2024, for cross-examination.Mambila Project Fraud: How N5.2m was wired to Agunloye; witness tells court
A prosecution witness, Adewale Agunbiade, on Monday, narrated before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, how former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, allegedly received multiple transfers of N5.2 million from Jide Sotirin Abiodun, a staff member of Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd.
Agunbiade told the court that Agunloye received the funds from Abiodun via multiple transfers and ATM withdrawals.
Agunbiade, a compliance officer now with Jaiz Bank Plc who formerly worked at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), testified in the ongoing trial led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on corruption charges.
EFCC is prosecuting Agunloye on seven-count charges, bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of the Mambilla Power Project contract to the tune of $ 6 billion to Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd.
While being questioned by prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, Agunbiade revealed that in October 2022, GTB received an inquiry from the EFCC about Agunloye and Abiodun’s accounts.
“On October 2022, GTB received an investigation activity inquiry from EFCC in respect of the accounts of two customers, Mr Olu Agunloye and Mr Jide Sotinri,” Agunbiade said.
“My team received the requests on behalf of the bank, following which I generated the statement of account via the system used by me at the time. I also prepared the Certificate of Identification, following my review of the statement against the records of the bank. I cosigned the cover letter of the responses.”
The prosecution counsel then presented documents, including letters between the EFCC and GTB (marked as Exhibit 1a and 2a), as well as GTB’s account responses (Exhibit 2a and 2b).
Agunbiade identified and confirmed these documents, saying “On page two of Exhibit 2b is the statement of Jide Sotirin Abiodun and the Certificate of Identification prepared by me on the statement of the account. On the 10th of September 2019, there were six transactions.
“The last five transactions were ATM cash withdrawals of N30,000 each. The last transaction on 10 August 2019 was a transfer of N3,600,000.00 from Sotirin Jide Abiodun to Olu Agunloy.”
The witness also revealed additional transfers from Abiodun to Agunloye, including N500,000 on October 22, 2019, and N1,121,000 on November 13, 2019.
He disclosed that “as of 22 October 2019, a record of N500,000.00 was transferred from Sotirin Jide Abiodun to Olu Agunloye. On 13 November 2019, a record of N1,121,000 from Leno in favour of Agunloye Olu from Jide Sotirin. Exhibit 1b is an account opening belonging to Agunloye Olu. On 10 August 2019 was an inward transfer of N3,600,000.00 from Sotinrin Jide Abiodun. On 22 October 2019, there was an inflow of N500,000 from Sotirin Jide Abiodun. Also on 13th November 2019 was an inflow of N1, 121,000 (One Million One Hundred and Twenty-one Thousand Naira) in favour of Agunloye Olu from Jide Sotirin.”
The case was adjourned until Monday, October 21, 2024, for cross-examination.
