Fayose Trial: Ex-NSA Authorised N200m, N2bn Payment, Witness Tells Court

BY AISHA ABUBAKAR 

A former Director of Administration and Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Shuaibu Salisu, on Friday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, authorised the payment of N200 Million and N2 billion to a company, Silver Macnamara without any evidence of the job done.

Shuaibu, who is the 14th Prosecution Witness (PW 14), also told the trial judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke that the NSA did not tell him the purpose for which the money was meant, but that the memo raised only stated that the purpose was for physical security infrastructures.

Salisu revealed this in the ongoing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, alongside his company, Spotless Investment Limited over an 11-count charge of criminal breach of trust, theft and stealing of public funds.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Fayose and one Abiodun Agbele, who is also standing trial on alleged money laundering before another division of the court, on June 17, 2014, took possession of N1.219 billion, to fund his 2014 governorship campaign in Ekiti State.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

When the case was called on Friday, Salisu, who was led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), claimed, “Once the NSA approves payment, we process the payment accordingly. And our payments are mainly on operational payment for security; I mean operational activities.

“The role of the NSA Office is purely on the security of the entire country, and if monies are extended for security infrastructure, we expect that it will be retired,” he said.

When shown a document tagged Exhibit S, the payment voucher raised for the funds, he said, “It is the payment mandate raised by me as a Director of Administration and Finance under the NSA instruction. The NSA instructed me to raise it. The first figure was N200 million in favour of Silver Macnamara paid to the Diamond Bank account, and the NSA gave me the account details.”

When the witness was asked who signed the payment mandate, he said, “I signed my part as signatory B. After that, I took it to NSA for final signature, which is the approval, after which I will take the mandate to the Central Bank of Nigeria for payment.”

He further testified that the payment was made, and that there ought to be a retirement after the purpose for which the money was paid had been carried out, but that up till the time he left the office, he could not say whether the beneficiary made the retirement or not.

Under cross-examination by counsel to the first defendant, Ola Olanipekun (SAN), Salisu testified that all payments made by the office of the NSA were made through the bank, and they had to raise the mandate before it was done.

While being cross-examined by the lawyer of the second defendant, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), the witness testified that about the retirement of funds, once money is given to a recipient, he is supposed to bring a receipt of what he has been asked to supply with a memo attached to it.

However, Olanipekun moved an application before the court, seeking the permission of the court for his client to travel abroad on health grounds.

The EFCC did not oppose the application.

In a short ruling, Justice Aneke granted the request and then adjourned the matter to October 18 to continue the trial.