Armsgate: Ex-PDP chair granted leave to travel
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the release of the international passports of former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bello Haliru and his son for medical treatment in the United Kingdom.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in January, 2016 arraigned Bello, his son, Abba and his company, Bam Projects and Property Ltd for allegedly receiving the sum of N300 million from the former NSA, retired Col Sambo Dasuki for PDP 2015 campaigns.
Ruling on the applications to travel for medical appointment, Justice Ahmed Mohammed observed that the prosecuting counsel, Leke Atolagbe has not objected to the applications by defence counsel.
He therefore ordered sureties to the defendants to file affidavits of undertaking guaranteeing their return to face trial.
Subsequently, he ruled that Abba should return to the country on May 15 while Bello Haliru would proceed and return on June 5.
Earlier, a Customer Relations Officer of the Guaranteed Trust Bank PLC, Jasper Iheme testified how various sums including N178.8m, N15m and N30m were transferred to Bam Projects and Property Ltd on March 19, 2015 after the sum of N70,000 was debited from the bank’s branch in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
Under cross examination by defence counsel, Solomon Umoh (SAN), the witness admitted he was serving in Kaduna branch of the bank, when the transactions occurred, adding that he does not know the source or the purpose of the monies.
The case has been adjourned to May 24 for hearing. The Senate Committee on Public Procurement has been mandated to probe contract certificates scandal at the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP).
The probe followed a motion by Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi). Section 5 (Q) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, mandates the BPP to perform procurement audits and submit such audits to the National Assembly biannually.
The Senate noted that BPP has repeatedly failed to perform its statutory duty particularly for conduct of post procurement audit and submission of reports to the National Assembly.
It observed that the neglect of duty by the BPP has affected the National Assembly in its constitutional duty of conducting oversight with respect to the application of public funds.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, gave the committee on public procurement five weeks to look into the allegation.