A civil servant from Benue State, Mr James Gera, on Monday testified as a witness of the Economic and Financial crimes Commission, EFCC, in the N3.1 billion money laundering case against former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam.
Suswam, alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia are facing 11-count amended charges of money laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion, being part of the proceeds from the sales of the state government’s shares held on its behalf by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, sold through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.
When the case came up on Monday for continuation of hearing, Mr James Gera, a civil servant in the Ministry of Finance, Benue State, between 2013 to 2016,who also served as the cashier for a Zenith Bank account associated with the Ministry of Finance, Benue State, was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel Oluwaleye Atolake.
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Gera told the court that he had the authority to process various types of payments, either through cash transfers or by physically withdrawing cash from the designated account.
He confirmed that N200 million cheque was issued to Oklobia, in December 2014 and another N128 million on 13th of January 2015.
He also confirmed that the sum of N250 million was also raised for sundry expenses for the government and N100 million was collected for Permanent Secretary of Finance and N150 million for the Commissioner for Finance.
Gera told the court that there was no retirement of funds all through the period.
He said he provided the payment vouchers, cash receipts and Schedule of payment to EFCC on invitation.
He pleaded with the court that he only acted on instruction as doing otherwise would have amounted to insubordination and that would have fetched him query.
He stressed that they were internal payment and he was operating under the instruction of the Director of Finance in the Ministry.
The witness was grilled by Prosecuting counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe and counsels of the defendants, Chinelu Ugbozor for Suswam and Audu Anuga for Oklobia.
The witness who was initially uncomfortable with the questions threw the court into laughter at the close of the proceedings when he said may he not be needed again by the court.
Gera in response to the comment by the Judge, who said that he would be contacted if he is needed again replied, “My Lord, may you not need me again.”
After the cross examination of the witness , the presiding Judge, Justice Peter Lifu, adjourned the case to November 20th 2024, for continuation of hearing.
