The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has tendered evidence by the first prosecution witness (PW1), Jonah Abimaje, against former Governor of Kaduna state, Muktar Ramalan Yero, who is in trial before Justice Z. B. Abubakar of the Federal high court sitting in Kaduna on Tuesday, February 23, 2021.
Yero is being prosecuted by the Kaduna zonal of the EFCC over his alleged involvement in the sharing of N700m provided by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to the influence of the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
During the last sitting (January 21, 2021), Abimaje who was the Head of Operations at Ahmadu Bello Branch Kaduna, and acting regional Head of Operations, Ali Akilu Branch of a new generation bank in 2015, had during his testimony narrated how monies received by the bank from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was collected by the defendants, stating that the said sum was paid to the 2nd and 4th defendants in cash, to which they signed a 'collection form' individually as evidence of collection.
At the resumed sitting, Abimaje, while being led in evidence by counsel to the EFCC, Nasiru Salele, tendered two receipts of cash collected by the defendants.
However, The defence strongly objected the admissibility of the documents, arguing 4th at the documents were not properly certified and that such documents ought to be tendered through an officer of the commission and not through a private witness from the bank.
In response, counsel to the EFCC argued that the documents were properly certified by the bank adding that, the originals of the documents in question were still in the custody of the bank, and urged the court to admit the documents in evidence.
Justice Abubakar adjourned the trail till March 25, 2021 for ruling and continuation of hearing.
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