An Abuja High Court has admitted in evidence a statement implicating the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, in an alleged N10 million bribe involving one of his aides, Ali Abdullahi.
Trial judge, Justice Chizoba Oji, admitted the statement in her ruling in a trial within trial conducted to confirm the voluntariness of the statement made by Abdullahi during interrogation at the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Oji, in her ruling held that Abdullahi’s statement, where he alleged that the bribe money was received on behalf of his boss was freely made to the commission and not under compulsion as claimed by the defendant.
The court also dismissed Abdullahi’s claim that the implicating statement was done under duress, intimidation and inducement from the operatives of the EFCC in the course of his interrogation in a petition on the N10 million bribe demand.
Abdullahi had in September 2013 while, making his statement before the EFCC named his boss, Umar, as the beneficiary of the alleged bribe said to have been offered by a former Deputy Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Rasheed Taiwo Owolabi, who was standing trial on false asset declaration at the CCT.
He claimed that the money was paid into his bank account with Zenith Bank by the ex-customs chief and that it was withdrawn the same day for his principal.
But during trial for a criminal offence, Abdullahi recanted and asked the Judge not to admit the statement as exhibit on the ground that it was made under duress, intimidation and inducement of job and money offer by the EFCC operatives if only he would implicate the CCT boss.
But, the judge however held that from the totality of evidence before her, there was nothing to suggest that the statement was made under duress or any form of intimidation as claimed by the defendant.
According to the judge, the EFCC operatives who testified during the trial proved beyond reasonable doubt that the statement was made by the defendant on his own volition in an open room.
Justice Oji described as an afterthought, the claim by Abdullahi that he acted under coercion and cajole to make the implicating statement, adding that it was established as a fact that he voluntarily breezed into the EFCC office to make the statement and was even granted bail in his personal recognisance.
“I have carefully considered the evidence of both parties in this trial within trial and I have no problem in coming to the conclusion that the latter claim of the defendant that he made the statement under duress is a mere afterthought not believable.”
According to her, “I hereby over-rule his objection to the admission of the statement as exhibit and I hereby admit the statement as exhibit P5.”
The judge then fixed March 27 for continuation of trial of the defendant.
The EFCC had asked the Abuja High Court to admit as exhibit the statement which implicated Umar in a N10 million bribery scandal.
The anti-graft agency insisted that the statement that implicated Umar was made by his Personal Assistant and Protocol Officer, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, August 12, 2013 at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja when the alleged bribe was paid into his account
EFCC made the request in its final submissions at the conclusion of trial-within-trial conducted by Justice Oji following the counter-claim by Abdullahi that he implicated his boss in the N10 million bribery issue under duress and inducement by EFCC.
