A mild drama ensued at a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, Thursday, when a prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) turned against the anti-graft commission.
Mr Julius Sunday Babalola stunned the court and many in the court room, when he told the court that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) knew nothing about the N544m contract in which criminal charges have been filed against him.
Babalola told the court that the Minister Tenders Board for the Presidential Initiative for North East was solely responsible for the award of the contract.
Testifying for EFCC before Justice Charles Agbasa, the witness pointedly told the court that Babachir Lawal was not a member of the tenders board and did not participate in any stage of award for the jobs.
Contrary to the allegations of EFCC that two contracts were awarded under emergency procurement procedure, the witness clarified that 18 contracts were actually awarded.
He however said that he was not aware of prosecution of 16 others except the two companies where the younger brother of the former SGF was alleged to have interest.
Babalola, who is the Head of procurement department in the office of the SGG, insisted that diligent and due process were followed by the Tenders Board members for the selection of the contractors.
The witness, who served in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as the Head of the Procurement Department, narrated in the court that the former SGF never participated in the activities of the Presidential Initiative for the North East, (Pine) and the Ministerial Tenders Board under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The witness, who was cross-examined by counsel to Babachir Lawal, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), admitted that he authored all the memos that led to the award of the contracts.
He said that the contracts were awarded by the Ministerial Tenders Board with due respect to the Emergency Procurement Act 2007.
He also narrated before the court that the contracts were awarded without fear or favour to anybody, explaining that he did his job as a loyal and dilligent civil servant.
“To the best of my knowledge, I carried out all my duties pertaining to these contracts under the emergency procurement Act 2007, properly,” he said.
Babalola further told the court that he did not know Hamidu Lawal (Second defendant), and the fifth and sixth defendants, Rholavision Engineering and Josmon Technologies.
“I did not discuss, meet or plan with any of the defendants, because I do not know them and I have never seen them,” he stated.
He confirmed to the court that a total of 18 contracts where awarded for the removal of evasive weeds, but only two were charged to court (Rholavision Engineering and Josmon Technologies), leaving out 16 other companies that got the contracts.
Justice Agbaza adjourned the matter to 3 and 10 November 2021 for continuation of trial.
The former SGF is answering to a 10-count charge the EFCC filed against him, which he pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecution alleged that the charge bordered on diversion of funds, criminal conspiracy and official corruption.
Those standing trial along with him are his younger brother Hamidu Lawal, Suleiman Abubakar, Apeh Monday and two companies, Rholavision Engineering (fifth defendant) and Josmon Technologies (sixth defendant).
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