Alex Badeh Back In Court As Financial Transactions Document Surface

The Federal High Court, in Abuja, on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 admitted in
evidence, documents showing financial transactions in the on-going trial of the
former Chief of defence staff, Alex Badeh.

The documents given showed transactions between the Nigerian
Airforce and the Ryte Builders 

Nigeria Limited through Zenith Bank and United
Bank for Africa (UBA).

The judge, Justice Okon Abang, gave the ruling after counsel
to the first defendant Akin 

Olujimi(SAN), raised objection to the admissibility
of the said documents, by the prosecuting 

counsel, Rotimi Jacobs ( SAN).

Abang in his ruling held that though the documents are
public documents and they are documents 

that do not require payment of fees
before admissibility.

The judge also held that there was no law prescribing fees
for the documents to be obtained unlike 

that in the CAC case cited by the
counsel to the first defendant.

He also held that it is sufficient that since the witness
made the documents, he does not need to sign 

them.

Abang, while stating that he agreed with the defence that
where a Supreme Court has interpreted a 

law all other courts must abide by the
ruling.

He said the issues canvassed must be the same as the one
cited adding that the situation did  not
apply in the circumstances of this case.

He subsequently overruled the objection raised by the
defence counsel, and admitted the documents in evidence as exhibits B6 and B7
respectively.

The matter was adjourned to Oct.12 for continuation of
trial.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel had applied to tender two
documents addressed to the Managers of UBA and Zeinth Banks.

The testimony was given by the sixth prosecution witness
Mohammed Sini, who was the then Camp Finance Officer of Nigerian Air Force
(NFA)

The witness told the court that on assumption of office, he
was intimated of the monthly disbursement of 558,200,000, officially earmarked
for maintenance of the office of the Chief of Air Staff.

He said: “In 2012, I was posted to Camp NAF, as the Camp
Finance Officer, my schedule involved payment of salaries, operations and
miscellaneous, disbursement of funds with operations and overhead expenditure
of the unit.

” In relation to accounts, I report to a Director of Finance
and Accounts within the headquarters and I take instructions from him with
respect to financial operations within the unit.

“I took over from Group Captain Ifeobu when I reported, he
told me that a certain a figure of this amount NGN 558,200,000 is meant for the
official administrative maintenance of the office of the Chief of Air Staff

Sini also told the court that he was to be reporting to the
Director, Finance and Account on the details of disbursement.

According to the witness, it is the duty of the cashier to
pay these balances into the accounts for payment of operation, Ration Cash
Allowances and Sundry Training Beats.

The witness further told the court that the paper work carried
out by his office was to generate mandate to the bank for the release of the
funds to enable them execute instructions.’

When asked if he knew the reason for transfer of funds to Ryte
Builders’ account, the witness said there was no need for him to know that
since the entire fund was meant for official maintenance.

“I did not ask because the entire fund was earmarked for the
official maintenance of the office of the Chief of Air Staff. What constitutes
the specifics of what the funds would be used for does not fall under my
powers.

“My own as the Camp Finance Officer was to take the
instructions of my director according to who is to be paid the money and I have
executed as such,” the witness stated.

News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that Badeh is being
accused of diverting N3.9billion while serving as Chief of Air staff