The star prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a former Chief of Air Staff (COAS), Air Vice Marshall Dikko M. Umar on Thursday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the former COAS carried out, “laudable projects” while he superintended over the affairs of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).Umar is facing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on misappropriation of funds belonging to NAF between 2010 and 2012.
The prosecution witness, Commodore Abdullahi Yishau (retd) told the court that the NAF was receiving about N4 billion monthly as salary emolument.
At yesterday’s proceedings, Yishau who was the Director of Accounts and Finance of the Air Force, while being cross-examined by the defence counsel, Hassan Liman (SAN), told Justice Nnamdi Dimgba that after the payment of staff salaries from the monthly N4 billion, the ex-COAS, deployed the balance of N1billion to training and “maintenance of NAF assets, fleets and other private projects which include barrack construction and renovation.
He said, “Out of the N1 billion, funds were disbursed to heads of units and commands for operational cost.
“NAF hospitals in Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Makurdi were equipped from the money. A comprehensive NAF school in Kano was also constructed during Umar’s stay in office.
“Land for the construction of NAF Conference Centre at Kado, Abuja was also acquired during the defendant’s tenure as COAS,” the witness told the court.
When asked by the defence lawyer about the annual audit report of the Air Force which was conducted by the Auditor-General of the Federation, Yishau disclosed that there queries but were resolved by Umar.
The witness further revealed that estacodes and allowances of personnel, as well as aeronautical repairs in Kaduna, were carried out from the funds that accrued to the force.
Meanwhile, the suit was adjourned till December 6 and 7, 2017, for the continuation of trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, in January this year re-arraigned the former Chief of Air Staff over alleged N4.8billion fraud, accusing him of using the funds he allegedly syphoned from NAF’s accounts between September 2010 to December 2012 to purchase six choice properties in Abuja, Kano and Kaduna State.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/92/ 2016, EFCC alleged that the former Air Force boss transferred N66million into the Stanbic IBTC account No. 9202077424 belonging to Capital Law office, from NAF operations account domiciled at UBA Plc, for the renovation/improvement of a house at No 1853 Deng Xiao Ping Street, Off Mahathir Mohammed Street, Asokoro Extension Abuja.
It told the court that Umar had between September and December 2012 in Abuja, used the Dollar equivalent of N500million removed from NAF account to purchase a four Bedroom Duplex with Boys Quarters at Road 3B Street 2, Mabushi Ministers Hill, Abuja.
That the defendant also used the US Dollar equivalent of N250million to purchase a property situated at No 14, Audu Bako Way, G.R.A. Kano State, in 2011.
Umar pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him.
and then