THE former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu, will on December 5, 2018, open his defence in the 6-count charge, bordering on false assets declaration and money laundering preferred against him by the Federal Government.
This followed the declaration by the council to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Prince Ben Ikani, prosecuting the former NNPC boss on behalf of the Federal Government that the prosecution has closed against the defendant after calling seven witnesses in the matter.
When the matter came up yesterday, the 7th prosecution witness, Suleiman Mohammed, a staff of the anti-graft agency narrated to the court how the recovery of the sum of $9.7 million and £74,000 recovered from a hidden fireproof safe allegedly belonging to Yakubu.was recorded.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, the witness said the recovery process and the counting of the money were recorded and saved in a 32 Gigabytes memory disk and in another two minidisks, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.
The trial Judge, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed then adjourned to December 5, 2018, for the defendant to open his defence in the charges slammed against him by the Federal Government.
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The former Group Managing Director of NNPC was alleged to have failed to declare the sum of $9,772,800 and the sum of 74,000 Pounds sterling found in his house in his assets declaration form he filed at the EFCC on August 18, 2015.
The EFCC said the offence ran contrary to Section 27 (3)(a) of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004, and punishable under Section 27 (3)(c) of the same Act.
Similarly, the Federal Government alleged that between 2012 and 2014, in Abuja, the former NNPC boss without going through a financial institution, received cash payment of $9,772,800 contrary to Section 1 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended in 2012, and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of same Act.
In count four: “Between 2012 and 2014 in Abuja, Yakubu was said to have without going through a financial institution, received a cash payment of 74,000 Pounds sterling contrary to Section 1 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended in 2012, and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of same Act.”
Count five stated that: “While being the Group Managing Director of NNPC, sometime between 2012 and 2014, within the jurisdiction of the court, with intent to avoid a lawful transaction under the law, transported at various times, an aggregate sum of 9,772,800 USD to Kaduna State, an offence contrary to Section 7(4)(b)(ii) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act; and punishable under Section 7(5) of same Act.”
EFCC said Yakubu knew or reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of proceeds of unlawful activity.
It was alleged in count six that, “While being the GMD of NNPC, Yakubu sometime between 2012 and 2014, within the jurisdiction of the court, with intent to avoid a lawful transaction under the law, transported the sum of 74,000 Pounds Sterling to Kaduna State, an offence contrary to Section 7(4)(b)(ii) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act; and punishable under Section 7(5) of same Act.
EFCC had on February 3, 2017, raided Yakubu’s house located on Chikun Road, Sabon Tasha area; Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State recovered the sum of $9,772, 800 USD and another £74,000.00.
Yakubu, who said the huge sums of cash were gifts he received from friends and well-wishers over a number of years, was granted bail in the sum of N300 million with two sureties in like sum.
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