Immediate past minister of information and culture,
Lai Mohammed has been scheduled to appear before a Federal High Court,
Abuja, to explain his role in the alleged misapplication of N2.5 billion
Federal Government Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme, Igbere TV
reports.
Mr Mohammed’s expected appearance was revealed by
the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC), who is prosecuting the director general of the National
Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Kawu, over an alleged abuse of
office and money laundering.
ICPC had filed a 12-count charge
before Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa, against Kawu, Lucky Omoluwa
and Dipo Onifade, the chairman and chief operating officer of Pinnacle
Communications Limited respectively, saying that the NBC director
general misled the former minister into approving government funds to a
private company.
Mohammed’s involvement, the ICPC said, had
come under questioning following discovery that a government white paper
that governs the execution of the DSO programme was allegedly flouted
by the head of NBC.
Mohammed had however admitted in a
statement to the Commission that he was misled by Kawu, as opined in
court by a witness from ICPC, Osanato Olugbemi.
Olugbemi, led
in evidence by counsel to ICPC, Henry Emore, also told the court that
the payment of N2.5 billion from NBC to Pinnacle Communications Limited,
as seed grant was suspicious because ICPC found out through its
investigations that only government owned company was approved to
benefit from the grant according to the White Paper.
The
court also heard that the processes that led to the final payment of the
fund to the private company were shrouded in secrecy as revealed by the
minute from an NBC emergency board management meeting where issues of
carriage fees owed Pinnacle and not seed grant was discussed.
He
told the court that 47 suspicious transactions were originated by the
Chairman of Pinnacle Communications, Omoluwa, immediately after the
receipt of the funds on June 2, 2017.
The transactions
includes payments of N363 million to one Idowu Olatunde, N274.4 million
to one James Segun and N127 million to Dipo Onifade, the chief operating
officer of the company.
He informed the court that Omoluwa
refused to explain the reasons for the payments to Olatunde and James
when asked by ICPC, but Onifade explained that he received the N127
million as legal fees he rendered to Pinnacle Communications Limited.
A
bureau de change operator, Salisu Mamman Daura, who also testified in
court, said he received N167 million in two instalments of N97 million
and N70 million respectively, from Pinnacle Communications Limited.
Daura
added that the sums were converted into $265, 000 and $195, 735
respectively, at the rate of N360 to an American dollar, and handed in
cash to one Alhaji Sabo, supposedly on behalf of Pinnacle
Communications.
Counsel to the accused persons, Alex Iziyon
(SAN), A Yusuf and A. V. Etuwewe for Omoluwa, Onifade, Kawu and Pinnacle
Communications respectively, took turns to cross-examine both witnesses
after which the matter was adjourned to July 1, 2019 for continuation
of trial and ruling on two pending motions by the trial judge.