Akpobolokemi is standing trial, alongside five others, on a 13- count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of funds, to the tune of N787.2 million . His co-accused persons are: Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba; Ekene Nwakuche; Governor Amechee Juan; Vincent Udoye, Captain Ade Sahib Olopoenia and Gama Marine Nigeria Limited.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, presented one of the three witnesses he earlier brought before the court. The witness: Olamide Ogunsanya, an Assistant Director in NIMASA disclosed to the court, how the sum of N795 million was paid into the International Shipping and Port Safety, ISPS, account and how same was disbursed.
The document conveying the presidential approval through the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, was identified by the witness and same was admitted as exhibit P22. On the document, Ogunsanya identified the endorsement of the first accused person, Akpobolokemi.
The witness also identified the third accused person, Ekene Nwakuche as the first beneficiary in the disbursement of the N795,200,000. She told the court that between 16 September, 2014 and 6 November, 2014, Nwakuche received N3m each, on eight occasions, from the ISPS
account totalling N28Million .
Hundred and Ninety Eight Thousand, Six Hundred and Thirty Five Naira Only) left in the account.
While explaining the procedure for receiving and disbursing money in NIMASA, Ogunsanya said a request would be made to the presidency through the NSA’s office and when approved, the DG would then ask the Executive Director to implement. From the executive director’s
office, an internal memo is raised and directed to the Director, Financial Services Department where payment instructions would be issued.
Oyedepo asked the witness about the procedure for the award of contracts in NIMASA and she said the agency has different threshold in terms of contracts award as stipulated by
the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE). She said the DG has An approval limit of N5,000,000.
N100,000,000, falls under the threshold of ministerial tenders board and any contract above N100,000,000 falls within the presidential or Federal Executive Council’s threshold.
Ogunsanya said that though the normal procedure for awarding contract was always followed, she never met or saw any representative from any of the companies that were alleged to have been awarded the purported contracts.
court for an adjournment in order to effectively cross examine the witness.