The N2.2bn fraud trial of former Governor Ayodele Fayose of
Ekiti State continued on Tuesday with a top official of Zenith Bank
Plc, Dr Abiodun Oshode, narrating to the court how the bank took a
bullion van to the airport to evacuate a cash sum of N1.219bn from
an aircraft.
Oshode said the bank rendered the service at the request of
Abiodun Agbele – an aide to Fayose.
He told the court that a former Minister of State for Defence,
Musiliu Obanikoro, was present during the operation at the airport
“but we did not interact.”
Oshode said on taking the N1.219bn cash to the bank, Agbele
supplied three bank accounts into which the money was to be
lodged.
He listed the three accounts as those of Privateer Nigeria
Limited; Spotless Investment Limited and “a personal account of His
Excellency (Fayose).”
Oshode, who was led in evidence by the prosecution for the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN),
also listed “Ayodele Fayose and Mrs Olayemi Fayose” as the
signatories to the account of Spotless Investment Limited.
When asked under cross-examination by Fayose’s lawyer, Mr Ola
Olanipekun (SAN), whether “seeing such volume of money being paid
into your bank,” the bank reported the N1.219bn cash lodgment to
the authorities as “illicit or suspicious,” Oshode said, “It was
reported.”
He explained that it was the standard practice that banks must
report cash transactions above N1m for an individual and N5m for a
corporate body.
When Olanipekun asked him that “pursuant to the report, did you
get any instructions to stop the transaction?” Oshode said,
“No.”
When the defence counsel asked whether Oshode would agree with
him that “the transaction was not stopped because it was deemed
appropriate,” the banker said he agreed.
“You also agree that the defendant invited your bank because
they too believed the transaction was appropriate?” Olanipekun
asked and responding, Oshode said, “Yes.”
When the second defence counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), told
Oshode that “At no time did you see the 1st defendant (Fayose)
filling any teller at any branch of your bank, either in Ekiti or
Akure,” the banker said, “Excellency will not do that.”
Justice C.J. Aneke adjourned further proceedings till
Wednesday.
In the charges, the EFCC alleged, among others, that Fayose, on
June 17, 2014, “took possession of the sum of N1, 219, 000,000 to
fund your 2014 gubernatorial campaign in Ekiti State, which you
reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an
unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing.”
The ex-governor was also alleged to have on the same day
“received a cash payment of $5,000,000 from Senator Musiliu
Obanikoro, the then Minister of State for Defence, which sum
exceeded the amount authorised by law and you thereby committed an
offence contrary to sections 1 and 16(d) of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section
16 (2)(b) of the same Act.”
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