The trial of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd), continued before the Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, with a former cashier at the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Emmanuel Abu, revealing how he deducted N7.4 billion from salary account of the Force in 14 months.
Abu, who said he served at the Air Force Camp located at Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja, testified before the court as the second prosecution witness, PW-1. He mounted the witness box after the erstwhile Director of Finance and Accounts at the NAF, Commodore Abdullahi Yushau (retd), concluded his testimony, yesterday, and was discharged by trial Justice Okon Abang.
In his evidence-in-chief, Abu confirmed before the court that N558.2 million was deducted from salary account of NAF on monthly basis, saying he was the person in charge of converting the money into dollars before it was eventually transmitted to the defendant. Badeh He told the court that two bureaux de change, Juda BDC and Vasma Holdings, were engaged to help in the conversion of the money to dollars every month.
Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, the witness said: “As the cashier, my duties were to assist the Camp Finance Officers in all financial transactions, book keeping, interfacing with bankers, bureau de change (when necessary) and payment of bill for NAF headquarters.
“In 2011 when I resumed, I served under a Camp Finance Officer (CFO) Wing Commander, S. A. Bukar, from June 2011 to November 2012. “In November 2012, a new CFO was posted in the person of Group Captain Mohammed Lawal Sini, who is now an Air Commodore.
“As a cashier, the source of funding from my office was the NAF headquarters and the funds are usually for personnel emoluments and monthly overhead expenses. “We received the personnel emoluments in UCA NAF 37 PE Account, domiciled with UBA Zone 2. The account is for the payment of personnel emoluments. “The second account from which we receive funds for overhead is UCA NAF 37 current account, domicile at Zenith Bank, Maitama.
It is used for monthly overhead expenditure, for daily running of the office. “In PE, we usually received about N900 million to N1.3 billion monthly. We pay salaries from it, the balance of the salaries, which is usually for non-regular allowances, training and operations and hanger catering, is transferred to five other accounts, three with Zenith Bank, one with Diamond Bank and one with UBA
“The remnant in PE account are transferred to five other accounts after paying salaries, because the balance of the salaries are meant for other purposes, and the PE account is just for payment of salaries.
“After distributing the money into five accounts, the funds are used to augment NAF overhead expenditures. We use them to pay estacode, non-regular allowances, training and operations, also purchase of aviation fuel. “For the expenditure of the fund, we receive approvals from the headquarters of NAF, usually approved by the Chief of Air Staff.
“However, in November 2012 when the new CFO resumed, he informed me verbally that there was a standing instruction for N558,200,000 to be set aside monthly for headquarters NAF training and operational purposes.
“He also informed me that the amount is to be converted to US dollars, except there is any other instruction to the contrary. “I complied with the instruction and I converted the amount monthly, from November 2012 to December 2013.
Within the 14 months, a total of N7.8 billlion plus was set aside.
“Of this, within the 14 months, I received instruction to transfer a total sum of N410 million to AFCO Nigeria Ltd and N875 million plus to Right Builders Technologies.” Justice Abang adjourned further hearing on the matter till May 18.
(Vanguard)
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