A former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.), who is being tried for an alleged fraud of N22.8bn, has urged the court to direct the prosecution to supply him with the statement obtained from his predecessor, Alex Badeh.
Amosu’s lawyer, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), insisted on Tuesday during proceedings before the Federal High Court in Lagos that he would not go on without being supplied with the statement made by Badeh to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He urged the judge to direct the EFCC to supply him with same and to adjourn the matter to enable him to use Badeh’s statement in the defence of Amosu.
The EFCC charged Amosu with an alleged fraud of N22.8bn.
He is being tried alongside Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun and Air Commodore Gbadebo Olugbenga.
They were accused of using eight companies to embezzle N22.8bn from NAF’s coffers.
But they pleaded not guilty.
At the Tuesday’s proceedings, an operative of the EFCC, Tosin Owobo, who appeared as the second prosecution witness, said during cross-examination by Ayorinde, that the funds allegedly diverted by the defendants were meant for NAF’s operations, including Operation Lafiya Dole in the insurgency-troubled North-East.
Owobo told the court that in the course of the investigation, his team interviewed and took statements from a number of NAF officers, including Badeh, who all confirmed that the funds were for operations.
“We interviewed other officers like Sergeant Agbogiji Murphy, Air Commodore Yishau, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, Wing Commander Ifuegbu, and Umar Mohammed, among other NAF officials, ” Owobo said.
Ayorinde then asked the witness if Badeh’s statement was obtained, to which the witness replied in the affirmative, adding that the statement was in the EFCC’s office.
“Is Alex Badeh’s statement before this court?” Ayorinde asked.
“Alex Badeh is not a part of this charge; so, we didn’t file Alex Badeh’s statement,” the witness said.
Looking through NAF’s statement of account, Ayorinde pointed out a February 25, 2014 transaction of N5.1m and asked Owobo if Badeh was questioned as regards the transaction.
Owobo said Badeh was questioned on the transactions in the statement of account and gave answers as to the transactions that fell within his time as the Chief of Air Staff.
source: http://punchng.com/n22-8bn-fraud-i-need-alex-badehs-statement-amosu-tells-court/
