EFCC witness has no documents to support testimony against Badeh

As the trial of former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh (rtd) continued at the federal high court in Abuja yesterday, prosecution witness, Mustapha Yerima revealed to the court that he had no document with him when he made his initial statement to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Badeh.

Badeh was charged to court by the EFCC for allegedly diverting N3.97 billion of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to his personal use.

Badeh, alongside a company, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited are on trial for a 10-count charge of money laundering bordering on alleged fraudulent removal of about N3.97 billion from the NAF account.

During the trial yesterday, Yerima told the court that he made 5 statements to the EFCC but only 4 were backed by documents available to him.

He however, declared that he stands by his 5 statements to the EFCC which were dated January 6, 12, 18, February 5 and 10, 2016 because they were all written in honesty.

Yerima told the court, while under cross examination by Badeh’s lead counsel, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), “Anytime Air Commodore Abdullahi Yushau (rtd), engages us for those assignments, in respect to the construction of the shopping mall, he kept telling us that the assignment is for his boss”.

Prosecution counsel, Tayo Olukotun had earlier had his objection to the line of cross examination by Badeh’s lawyer on the grounds that the defence should have tendered the said statements as exhibits before the court ruled out by Justice Okon Abang.

The judge ruled that the purpose of the defence asking a witness is to know whether his statement to the investigation body contradicts his evidence before the court added that, “It is not sufficient to hold that when a witness denies a statement before it, it can be tendered as exhibit before the court as submitted by the counsel to the first defendant.”

“The objection of the prosecution is sustained, defence shall tender the statements as exhibits before the witness can be cross examined on them.”

The further examination of witnesses was adjourned to today by the judge.

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