The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-arraigned former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo, Abuja.
He was re-arriagned on allegations that centre on the award of the contract for construction of 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station in Taraba State.
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The anti-graft agency re-arraigned him on an amended seven counts of forgery, disobeying presidential directive and gratification.
The EFCC alleged that Mr Agunloye awarded the contract for the Mambilla power project on 22 May 2003 to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited without any budgetary provision, approval and cash backing.
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The commission also alleged that the former minister received N5.212 million from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) and Leno Adesanya, through Jide Abiodun Sotinrin.
It added that this was done through Mr Agunloye’s Guaranty Trust Bank account, for conveying the federal government’s approval for the construction of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station in favour of SPTCL while serving as minister.
The former minister pleaded not guilty to all seven counts read to him in court on Monday.
Earlier, the second prosecution witness in the case (PW2), Adewale Agunbiade, a former Compliance Officer with GT Bank but now with Jaiz Bank Plc, testified.
Under cross-examination by Mr Agunloye’s lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the witness told the court that there was no letter from Jaiz Bank permitting him to testify, while EFCC did not issue him witness summons to testify in the case.
Mr Agunbiade told the court that when he informed the EFCC operatives that he no longer worked for GTBank, he was told that he was the one who prepared the documents relating to the court’s proceedings.
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Asked if he presented his identification card to the court to show that he is a staff member of Jaiz Bank, the witness, who had given his evidence-in-chief on 23 September 2024, said he did not do that.
After cross-examination of the witness, trial judge Jude Onwugbuese adjourned further hearing until 24 February.
(NAN)
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