EFCC says it found $900,000 belonging to Air Force in defebdant’s account By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA – Trial of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, retd, resumed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, tendering more evidence against him. Badeh Badeh is answering to a 10-count criminal charge preferred against him by the EFCC. He was alleged to have diverted over N3.9billion from NAF accounts within 2013. The ex-NAF boss is facing trial alongside his firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Ltd. Among exhibits trial Justice Okon Abang admitted into evidence against the defendant yesterday included the title deed of a N650million Abuja property that was sold by Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State to buyers, who allegedly acted on behalf of the defendant. The documents which EFCC tendered through its lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, were admitted as exhibits after Justice Abang dismissed Badeh’s objection to their admissibility. Other documents the prosecution tendered through its 18th witness, Mr. Abubakar Madaki, who was the leader of EFCC’s investigative team, included the deeds of assignment between Fayose and one Tony O. Ezekiel, dated December 12, 2009, as well as the Certificate of Occupancy bearing the governor’s name. Also admitted in evidence was a letter dated March 4, 2016 with attachment sent by the Lands Department of the Federal Capital Territory Administration in response to EFCC’s request; a reply dated May 5, 2016 by the Abuja Geographic Information; letter by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice. The fourth prosecution witness, Mr. Mustapha Yerima who is the Managing Director of Life Builders Technology Limited, had in his testimony on May 23, 2016, narrated before the court, how the plot of land in Abuja worth N650m, which he said was originally owned by Fayose, was purchased by Badeh for the construction of a shopping mall that gulped N1.2bn. The shopping mall was said to be located along Amino Kano Crescent, in Abuja. Yerima told the court that a former Director of Finance and Account of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Aliyu Yishau (retd), who had also testified as the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the matter, was the middle man between him and Badeh. The witness said he paid the N650m for the land in cash on behalf of Yishau, who was allegedly acted for his boss (Badeh). He said: “While on his (Badeh) official tour carried out by the Nigerian Air Force, he visited our site, which was Nigerian Air Force Conference Centre. We took him round the project and we showed him all the facilities. “He was very impressed that an indegenous contractor could do a wonderful job because the finishing was nice. “Soon after he left, some few weeks or months, the Director of Finance, Air Commodore Yishau (PW1) approached me and said his boss was very pleased with our job and said his boss wanted to give us a job. Then he scheduled a meeting. “Then he told me the nature of the job that it was the construction of a mall. Soon after that, Yishau called me again that they were ready to embark on the project that we should look for a commercial plot within the city centre. “Before we could find one, Yishau called that they had found one along Aminu Kano Crescent. Then he engaged us to negotiate for the land. He gave us a copy of the C of O (Certificate of Occupancy). “I got to know that the land was in the name of one Fayose Ayodele. Soon after, we tried to contact the owner. Yishau called again that they had found the person who bought the land from Mr. Ayodele Fayose. “Then we contacted the person, one Mr. Tony (I can’t remember the other name). He is the owner of Itex Furnitures. We got to him and we realised that he sold to the third party by the name Kasagro Investments Limited. We now spoke to Air Commodore Yishau to find out. He then directed us to negotiate with Kasangro Investments Limited. We got to Kasangro Investments Limited, he then named his price, N650m.” Meanwhile, at the contiuation of hearing yesterday, the PW-18, revealed said that some of the proxies Badeh used to acquire properties, had yet to register their interests in the assets. However, he said his team of investigators were able to link the properties to Badeh through the movement of funds from the Nigerian Air Force’s account to the sellers.
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