N4.6bn Use In Sponsoring 2015 Presidential Campaign_ EFCC explains why it didn’t invite Jonathan

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, investigating officer, Shehu Shuaibu, told a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday that the N4.6 billion allegedly transferred into a Joint Trust account was used to finance former President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 presidential campaign.

According to The Punch, Shuaibu made the remarks while testifying before Justice Daniel Osiagor in the trial of former Finance Minister Senator Nenadi Usman, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, and two others on charges of money laundering and other fraud-related offenses.

During his cross-examination by Usman’s counsel, Mr. Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), he stated that his team from the EFCC’s Special Task Force did not invite former President Jonathan throughout their investigation.

The witness admitted that Usman, the first defendant, was the Director of Finance for President Jonathan’s Campaign Organization, and Fani-Kayode, the second defendant, was the Director of Media and Publicity for the organization.

When asked why he didn’t invite Jonathan to confirm or deny whether the money paid into the Joint Trust account was spent on his campaign, he replied, “No, we didn’t invite him, because the President was not the one who spent the money.”

READ ALSO: 

• This is a moment of crisis&_ Jonathan sympathizes with flood victims
• EFCC recorded over 2,700 financial crime convictions in 2022.
• EFCC caught a governor withdrawing over N60 billion cash EFCC Boss lament

“To the best of my knowledge, I do not know whether those who transferred money into the joint trust account were charged in court or not,” he said when asked if those who transferred money into the joint trust account were arrested and prosecuted. I’m not a lawyer, so I’m not sure why they haven’t been charged in court.”

The witness also stated that the funds were transferred from the State House to the NEA Account before being transferred to the joint trust account.

He stated that the money was paid by the Permanent Secretary of State House, Nebolisa Emodi and that he was summoned for questioning by his team but was not charged in court.