Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, on Tuesday, denied the bribery and gratification fees introduced towards him, his father and others by means of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC).
Mr Mustapha, the 3rd defendant, denied the allegations sooner than trial pass judgement on Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal Top Courtroom in Abuja.
He testified because the 5th defence witness.
The EFCC is prosecuting the ex-governor along his two sons – Aminu and Mustapha, on N1.35 billion cash laundering fees.
Others defendants within the case are Aminu Abubakar, Bamaina Corporate Nigeria Ltd, Bamaina Aluminium Ltd, Speeds World Ltd and Batholomew Darlington Agoha as 4th to eighth defendants respectively.
The EFCC alleged within the 37 fees that Mr Lamido abused his place whilst serving as governor between 2007 and 2015.
The fee accused him of laundering sums of cash won as kickbacks from agencies that have been awarded contracts by means of the Jigawa State Executive beneath his management.
The defendants, then again, pleaded no longer in charge to the entire counts.
In his testimony on Tuesday, Mustapha, led in proof by means of defence legal professional Joe Agi, a Senior Suggest of Nigeria (SAN), advised the court docket that the allegations in all of the 37 counts have been unfaithful.
He mentioned the entire sub-contracts awarded by means of Dantata and Sawoe Development Corporate to their agencies have been duly carried out and paid for.
Mustapha deneid that different hundreds of thousands of naira discussed in every of the counts have been not directly paid as bribery and gratification to Mr Lamido, who used to be governor on the time.
He mentioned regardless that his father used to be a director within the agencies, he controlled them with out the ex-govenor’s interference.
He mentioned he bidded for the sub-contracts with Dantata and Sawoe to provide bitumen, diesel, amongst others, and that the contracts have been carried out with out his father’s contribution.
When Mr Agi took the the witness via every of the counts, he den8ed the entire allegations.
“Was once it the primary defendant (Sule Lamido) who requested you to provide merchandise to Dantata and Sawoe,” the legal professional requested.
“No my Lord. I’ve been a businessman all my lifestyles,” Mustapha answered.
He advised the court docket that he began automotive gross sales when he used to be in college in 2002.
In line with him, he borrowed N1 million from his father to begin the trade.
“Speeds World Ltd that I run, I promote vehicles. I took evening bus from Kano to Lagos with out my father’s wisdom then to Birnin Republic to buy vehicles,” he mentioned.
He mentioned his father offered him to the overdue Aminu Dantata sooner than he turned into the governor of Jigawa.
Requested if he used to be the one provider to Dantata and Sawoe, he answered within the unfavourable.
He insisted that the entire sub-contracts accomplished with Dantata have been respectable and authentic.
Previous, Mustapha, who mentioned he lives in Kano, mentioned he provides items and services and products, together with petroleum merchandise.
When Mr Agi requested him if he knew the defendants, Mustapha mentioned: “Sure, the fitst defendant is my cherished father.
“The seond defendant (Aminu) is my elder brother. The fourth defendant is a circle of relatives buddy,” he mentioned.
He additionally mentioned that the 3 companies- Bamaina Corporate Nigeria Ltd, Bamaina Aluminium Ltd and Speeds World Ltd are circle of relatives agencies whilst Agoha (eighth defendant) is a supervisor of the entire agencies.
He mentioned Bamaina Corporate Nigeria Ltd used to be included round 1984, and that when the corporate used to be included, they began dealing in petroleum merchandise.
When the legal professional requested him if he had paperwork to again the petroleum trade, he answered in affirmative.
“Sure, we have now however right through post-election violence in 2011 in Kano State, some hoodlums introduced an assault on our head place of work; Bamaina Nigeria Ltd and Bamaina Aluminium Ltd.
“The place of work used to be burnt down, and many of the paperwork have been misplaced,” he mentioned.
Mustapha, then again, mentioned that there are police extract, court docket affidavit the place the firms have been indexed, file of the post-election violence and pieces indexed, together with the file of repayment by means of the Kano State govt, as evidence.
Pass judgement on Ojukwu admitted the paperwork in proof as a result of there used to be no objection by means of the prosecution legal professional, Chile Okoroma, a SAN.
When Mr Agi requested Mustapha if efforts were made to get new paperwork, he mentioned: “I needed to cross to my father’s archive in my village to get the photocopies.”
READ ALSO: Alleged N1.35bn Fraud: Sule Lamido, EFCC disagree over subpoenaed witness
He mentioned approval used to be gotten by means of his father to build a filling station on 20 December 1984 at Bamaina Village in Birnin Kudu Native Executive Space.
Some paperwork sought to be tendered by means of Mr Agi have been antagonistic by means of Mr Okoroma, who prayed the court docket to reject them. The paperwork antagonistic by means of the prosecution integrated a Directorate of Hearth Carrier letter to the Division of Petroleum Assets (DPR), Conoil letter to DPR, Bamaina’s letter to DPR, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Allow and automotive sale settlement.
The pass judgement on, in a ruling, held that the defence had happy the availability of the regulation for the reason that paperwork sought to be tendered have been unique copies.
She, subsequently, admitted them in proof and marked them as Shows 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88 respectively.
After Mustapha used to be cross-examined by means of the EFCC legal professional, the defence closed their case.
Judfe Ojukwu adjourned the topic till 12 January 2027 for adoption of ultimate written addresses.
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