Why we didn’t invite Jonathan for questioning – EFCC

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s investigating officer Shehu Shuaibu, on Thursday, told a Federal High Court in Lagos that the N4.6bn allegedly transferred into a Joint Trust account was used to finance the 2015 presidential campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Shuaibu stated this while testifying before Justice Daniel Osiagor in the trial of former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and two others over alleged money laundering and other fraud-related offences.

During cross-examination by Usman’s counsel, Mr Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), he said his team from the Special Task Force of the EFCC, did not invite former President Jonathan throughout their investigation.

The witness admitted that the first defendant, Usman, was the Director of Finance for President Jonathan’s Campaign Organisation, while the second defendant, Fani-Kayode, was the Director, Media and Publicity of the organisation.

Asked why he did not invite Jonathan to confirm or deny if the money paid into the Joint Trust account was expended for his campaign or not, he said, “No, we did not invite him, since the President was not the one that expended the money.”

When asked whether those that transferred money into the joint trust account were arrested and prosecuted, he said, “To the best of my knowledge, I do not know whether those that transferred money into the joint trust account were charged in court or not. I am not a lawyer, and would not know why they have not been charged before the court.”

The witness further disclosed that the money was paid from the State House to the NEA Account before it was transferred into the joint trust account.

He noted that the money was paid by the Permanent Secretary, State House, Nebolisa Emodi, and that he was invited for interrogation by his team but not charged to court.

Justice Osiagor adjourned the case till today (Friday) for the continuation of the trial.

(Punch)