A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday granted the request for the release of the International Passports of the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bello Haliru and his son, Abba to enable them travel to the United Kingdom (UK) for medical treatment.
Haliru (3rd defendant), Abba (1st) and BAM Projects and Properties Ltd (2nd defendant) are being prosecuted by the Federal Government for allegedly receiving the sum N300 million from Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the former National Security Adviser (NSA) during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The trial Judge, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed while ruling on the applications for the release of the International Passports of the former PDP national chairman and his son held that their counsel should write undertaken that they (the defendants) will return to the country to face their trial
The Judge said the undertaken must be written before the defendants’ International Passports will be released to them.
He specifically said Abba, the first defendant must return to the country before the next adjourned date of May 24, 2017 and added also that the International Passport of the former PDP national chairman will be released to him, on the return of his son from his medical trip abroad.
The decision of the court followed a no objection by the counsel for the prosecution, Olalekan Atolagbe.
Earlier, the prosecution called its 5th witness (PW5), Mr Jasper Chukwuemeka Ihene, a relationship manager with the Murtala Mohammed Square branch of the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc in Kaduna, who said what he knows about the matter was what concerns the North Pole global services and its banking relationship and transaction with the bank.
He told the court that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited the bank in December 2014 concerning North Pole global services and documents, including customer’s statement of account for specified period and the account opening documentation, among others, which were tendered at the EFCC.
The documents were accepted as exhibits by the court at Wednesday proceedings.
According to the witness, the sole signatory to the account is Mallam Abubakar M Aubabakar, a retired Customs Officer and a one-time governorship aspirant in Kebbi State.
He said on March 18, 2015, the first entry into the account was a debit of N70, 000 and the second entry was a credit of N178.8 million, which was ordered by BAM Projects and Properties (2nd defendant).
“Then on March 19, 2015, the first entry was a debit of, N15 million done at the Birnin Kebbi branch of the bank and the second entry was another debit entry of N30 million, also at the Birnin Kebbi branch of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc”, the witness told the court while being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel.
Under cross examination, the witness said he was in his branch when all the transactions were made on the account and that he neither knows the source of the money nor what the money was meant for.
Justice Mohammed adjourned the matter till May 24, 2017 for continuation of trial.
Recalled that a prosecution witness, Rouqayya Ibrahim had told the court how Haliru and his son got and used the sum of N300 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) without executing any contract.