- I’ve No Document of Financial Transaction with Former CDS Badeh, Says EFCC Witness
By Alex Enumah
A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh (retd.), has told Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that he kept no personal records to prove all the cash transaction made between him and Badeh.
The witness, a former Director of Finance, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Abdullahi Yushau, disclosed this on Tuesday during cross examination by the defence counsel, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN).
While admitting that that he was the Head of the Directorate of Finance, Yushau however told the court that the command’s finance officer whose duty it was to keep record has all the records of the amounts of the dollar equivalent he handed to Badeh at his official residence on a monthly basis and other transactions.
Badeh, alongside his firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, are being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 10-count charge of money laundering bordering on alleged fraudulent removal of about N3.97bn from NAF’s account.
The anti-graft agency accused Badeh of using the fund to buy and develop landed assets in Abuja for himself and two of sons between January and December 2013.
He however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, the witness told the court during cross examination that he cannot remember the exact amount of money he gave to Badeh during the course of their transaction.
“I cannot remember the exact amount of dollar equivalent that I gave to Badeh in Nov, 2012, and other cash transactions we had because it was not my duty to keep records.
“All the records of the cash transaction are there in the Nigerian Air force (NAF) command finance account office. My command finance officer wrote a statement at the EFCC and I am sure the records are there in his statement.
He also maintained that the sum of N90miliion was used for the purpose of furnishing a property belonging to Mr. Alex Badeh Junior but added that he did not include it in the statement he made at the EFCC.
“The total sum of N90 million was used to purchased and furnished a property belonging to Alex Badeh Junior.
“I did not include this in my statement because I was responding to the EFCC agents based on their line of questioning.
“The records of all these details I still maintain are with the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) command, finance account” he said.
