BY AYO ESAN
THE trial of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, has been adjourned till January 25, 2021.
At the resumed trial on Wednesday, the account statement and account opening package of Abdulrahman Yusuf, a bureau de change operator, Oberone BDC Limited and Halima Tanimu Turaki were tendered and admitted in evidence through the ninth prosecution witness, Umar Garba, a relationship manager with First City Monument Bank.
The witness identified transactions made by the third and fourth defendants at various times to a bureau de change operator, Abdulrahman Yusuf.
Garba, while explaining some of the inflows into the account, told the court, “On the 30th of January 2015, there was an inflow of N50 million in two tranches into the account of a bureau de change operator, Abdulrahman Yusuf from the account of the third defendant, Samtee Essentials Limited.
“Another N30 million in two places on the same date from the fourth defendant, Pasco Investment Limited.”
He further told the court that on 28th January 2015, there was an inflow of N50 million in five transactions from the third defendant and also N20 million in two places, adding that another N29.7 million was transferred to Abdulrahman Yusuf.
Under cross examination by the third and fourth defendants’ counsel, Abdulazeez Ibrahim and Nasir Saidu, respectively, he told the court that he did not know the purpose of the inflows or the source of the funds.
Turaki, his special assistant, Sampson Okpetu and two companies – Samtee Essentials Limited and Pasco Investment Limited – are standing trial on a 16-count charge of fraud, amounting to N714, 670, 014 (Seven Hundred and Fourteen Million Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Fourteen Naira).
