By Desire Emmanuel
The third prosecuting witness in the ongoing trial of a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, on Monday, November 24, told Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that the contract award document for the execution of the Mambila project was allegedly forged.
Agunloye is facing trial on an amended seven-count charge bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of Mambilla Power Project contract to the tune of $6 billion.
The witness, Umar Hussein Babangida, while being cross-examined by defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe, disclosed that Agunloye allegedly forged the award of contract document dated May 22, 2003.
“I wrote the investigation report which was earlier tendered before the court. In the course of investigation, we found out that while serving as a minister, Agunloye awarded a contract for the Mambilla project to SPTCL on May 22, 2003 and the contract letter had been tendered in court,” he said.
When the witness was asked if the said document was compared to an original, his response was that “the award document was a false representation of itself, it was compared with the information contained in it.
“It contains false information and misrepresentation of facts. I did not compare it with another document because the document itself is a certified true copy.”
Speaking further, he stated that during the Federal Executive Council meeting of May 21, 2003, there were 40 ministers, including Agunloye, in attendance.
He also said he interviewed the then Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi and former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the course of his investigation into the matter..
Adedipe also asked the witness if he had a report to show his interview with the then Attorney-General of the Federation and the former president and he said there was no written report because it was an oral interview, adding that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo also wrote a letter to the current AGF and Minister of Justice.
“I was not at the (FEC) meeting of 21st May, 2003 but we obtained the report via a formal request. Apart from the defendant, 39 other ministers were present at that meeting and I did not interview His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, the then Vice-President,” he said.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter till December 1 for continuation of cross examination of the witness..
