N32bn Police Pension Scam: How N14bn

N32bn Police Pension Scam: How N14bn
vanished without my knowledge, witness
tells court
on october 26, 2013 at 1:00 am in news
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Abuja
The Head of Internal Audit at the Police Pension
Office, Mr. Adeyemo Julius Adebolu, yesterday,
narrated before a High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory, how about N14billion meant for
pensioners across the federation, vanished
overnight.
Adebolu who mounted the witness box yesterday,
said he never received any voucher for audit
payment of the funds which the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said was
stolen by seven civil servants.
Those fingered in the fraud were Mrs. Uzoma Cyril
Attang, Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed
Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani
Habila Zira, and Christian Madubuike.
In total, the anti-graft agency told the court that the
accused persons succeeded in pilfering about
N32billion meant for retired police officers.
At the resumed hearing on the matter yesterday,
Adebolu who was led in evidence by EFCC lawyer
Mr Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told trial Justice Husseini
Baba when he was shown First Bank statement of
account of the police pension office on withdrawals
to the tune of N14 billion that the withdrawals under
his watch were a big embarrassment done without
his knowledge.
“I didn’t know anything about the cheques before
that day,” he lamented.
When asked if there was any voucher backing the
payments, the witness said: “Honestly sir, there is
no voucher I received for audit payment, that’s the
truth.”
The witness had earlier told the court that there
was a federal government circular mandating all
payments to be made via E-payments from January
1, 2009 and that the police pension office had
flouted that orders up till September 2009.
Meanwhile, the court yesterday admitted the
circular as Exhibit P5, even as the prosecution
tendered as Exhibits, bundles of certified Cheques
from the First bank as Exhibit P4 raised in the
names of two accused persons Veronica U
Onyegbula / Director, Police Pension Office (DPPO).
Adebolu also told the court that it was when he was
invited to EFCC that he was shown the bank
statement and cheques with regards to the
payment.
He told the court that verification exercise/tours
were conducted up to four times in a year in the
police pension office and that he made payments on
an average of N400million for the Duty Tour
Allowance (DTA) for officers involved in the
verification exercises.
Besides, the witness, cited an instance where he
got an alert of N2million and N5million respectively
and when he sought clarification from the Head of
Account, Mr John Yakubu Yusuf, he was told that
the money is meant for payment of the senate and
house committee members on police pension.
He said when he asked why the money was raised
in his name, he was told that management had
agreed that the money will be paid in cash rather
than electronically and the voucher duly approved
by the Director, Police Pension Office was then
raised before he cashed and handed over the
N7million from his account to the Head of the
central pay Office.
The witness also told the court that during festivity
periods like Sallah, Christmas and Easter, Mr Yusuf,
had on about five occasions, called him and gave
him money for his section, totalling N3.5million.
“The instruction will always be that I should take
60% and share the balance to others, so because
we are many, I take 30% and shared according to
our rank”.
Meantime, counsel to the first accused person,
Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, asked the
witness if the EFCC invited him in writing or on
phone, Adebolu replied and said he was invited on
phone through his director.
The defence then asked for an adjournment to
enable him to cross examine the witness
effectively, saying he is very important in the trial.
Consequently, Justice Baba adjourned the case to
December 5 and 6 for continuation of trial.