Bukola Saraki , Senate President at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) while facing trial for alleged false declaration of assets in Abuja on Thursday
Michael Wetkas, superintendent investigative officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the prosecution witness 1 in a 13 count charge brought against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki has told Justice Danladi Umar of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) that Saraki never declared his foreign account.
Wetkas while being cross examined by Paul Usoro SAN, said other members of the larger investigative team had questioned Saraki, as a result of intelligence report over some of his properties, companies controlled locally and internationally, Societe Generals Bank and assets he declared before the Code of Conduct Bureaue (CCB), to which he made statements.
Having been briefed by Usman Imam, Musa Sunday, members of the investigative team, the reports were harmonised and taken to the CCB to confirm the veracity of the properties declared.
When asked if the team including that of the CCB interrogated Saraki, Wetkas said “no, it was in the cause of the analysis of the forms by the CCB officials that we realised that the American Express Service card was not disclosed in the asset declaration form”.
He stated that the credit card was the same as bank account which is usually identified by an account number from where you can pay in money or spend money form in the course of transaction.
When asked about the issue of accounts in relation to cards, he said that: “by my understand, I do not see any difference between the card and the account. I am not aware of the fact that other financial institutions can issue cards.
” I do not know Harold’s departmental store that issues credit card and I do not have experience on banking activities as well as credit cards”.
Wetkas had earlier told the tribunal that the Guarantee Trust Bank had furnished the investigation team with some Telex messages but said the account number was not contained in the transaction instrument sent to it.
He however stated that the telex was the document of instruction that effects the transfer of funds by the customer to the third party. “The issue of standard form, I cannot say categorically, the bank would be in the best position to talk about this”, he said.
The matter was however adjourned to April 27, 2016 for continuation of cross examination on the PW 1.
