Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, today, adjourned to March 5, 2021, the money laundering trial of Dr Doyin Okupe, former Senior Special Assistant on public affairs to Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), had arraigned Okupe alongside his two companies: Value Trust Investments and Abrahams Telecoms on a 59-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of N702m.
At the resumed trial on February 8, 2021, the defence presented its fourth witness, Honourable Bamidele Salami, a member of the House of Representatives, who served as head of media in the office of the then Senior Special Assistant on public affairs to President Jonathan.
Led by Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), the witness told the court that “there were approximately 30 staff in different units of the office and the office was funded by the Presidency, through the office of the National Security Adviser, (NSA), under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd)”.
He revealed that funding in the sum of N10m was provided on a monthly basis in cash to Doyin Okupe through an officer in NSA.
Bamidele further revealed that N3m was paid for a programme, ‘Insight’ on NTA, to correct the negative perception of the former President.
He said it was untrue that the programme was aired “free of charge” as corporate social responsibility by the NTA.
During cross examination by the prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Audu, the witness was asked whether a weekly publication in the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), The Federalist, is a private company.
The witness, in response, informed the court that The Federalist is not a registered private company with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), but a publication of the office of (NSA).
He, however, claimed ignorance of any contractual agreement between The Federalist newspaper and the Office of National Security Adviser.
Bamidele also told the court that he did not have the exact figure of monies that was paid for media engagements, honorarium and other public relations engagements, “but it costs a lot”.
The defence witness’ evidence on the sponsorship of Insight on NTA contradicts the testimony of the first prosecution witness (PW1), Osas Azonabor, an operative of the EFCC, who had told the court “that no receipt was issued for the payment to NTA, however, a letter was written to NTA and investigations further revealed that the programme was aired free of charge as directed by the then Director General of NTA, who said the programme was to be seen as the Corporate Social Responsibility of the NTA”.
