The trial of Azibaola Roberts, a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the alleged $40 million money laundering criminal charge began on Tuesday in Abuja with a Federal Government witness, Mr. Ibrahim Maye, informing a Federal High Court in Abuja that the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), instructed him to prepare a payment mandate of $40 million in favour of One Plus Limited.
Dasuki was the National Security Adviser (NSA) in the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, while One Plus Limited is the company of Roberts, a cousin to former President Jonathan.
Roberts, together with his wife Stella, were arraigned on June 8 on a 7-count charge bordering on money laundering totaling about $40 million.
Maye, who was the first witness called by the prosecution, told the court that Dasuki had endorsed a memo to him with details of the company’s account.
He said the memo was sent to him in his capacity as the Permanent Secretary, Special Service Office, a department in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
“On Aug. 20, 2014, the NSA endorsed a memo to me which originated from the director of finance and administration in the office of the NSA, giving bank details of a company called One Plus”.
“The memo also gave details of the purpose for which the company was to be paid the sum of $40 million. The NSA instructed me to prepare payment and my understanding of that was that I should prepare the payment mandate for One Plus for his signature”.
“After I got the memo, I prepared the payment mandate, sent it to him, he signed and sent it back to me. The subsequent necessary action was for me to counter sign, which I did and I sent it to the CBN for payment,” Maye said.
Earlier, the lead counsel to Roberts, Mr. Chris Uche (SAN), had urged the court for a short adjournment.
Uche said he sought for the adjournment because he had not had ample time to meet with his client since he was granted bail to prepare his defence.
He said that when bail was granted, his team had difficulties in perfecting the bail conditions adding that the conditions were only perfected last week.
He said they needed more time to prepare their defence because there were some documents that they needed to subpoena from the office of the NSA.
Uche also sighted indisposition as part of the reasons his team was asking for an adjournment.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, however, objected to the application on the grounds that they had a witness already in court who was stopped from going on lesser hajj on account of the trial.
Tahir said that they had prevailed on the witness to postpone his trip and not allowing him to give his testimony would amount to a waste of effort.
On the issue of indisposition, Tahir said the defence had about 19 other lawyers on the team and so even without the lead counsel, trial could commence.
Trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, agreed with the prosecution that trial should commence since the defence had sufficient time to prepare their defence.
Justice Dimgba adjourned the case till July 4 and 5 for continuation of trial.
