Adewale Agunbiade, a witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has disclosed how Jide Sotirin Abiodun, a Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd employee, allegedly gave N5.2 million to Olu Agunloye, the former minister of power and steel, in several transfers and ATM withdrawals.
The EFCC is prosecuting Agunloye on seven counts that involve allegations of official corruption and awarding Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd. a $6 billion contract for the Mambilla Power Project through fraud.
The witness was a Compliance Officer who had formerly worked for Guarantee Trust Bank, GTB. Agunbiade appeared before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, which was seated in Apo, Abuja.
Agunbiade disclosed during his interrogation that in October 2022, the EFCC had questioned GTB regarding the accounts of two of its customers, Olu Agunloye and Jide Sotinri.
In addition to cosigning the response letters, he produced account statements and Certificates of Identification. Six transactions were displayed in the exhibits on September 10, 2019, including a N3.6 million transfer from Jide Sotinri to Olu Agunloye and five N30,000 ATM withdrawals, BrandSpur national news stories report.
According to the statement: “On page two of Exhibit 2b is the statement of Jide Sotirin Abiodun and the Certificate of Identification prepared by me on the statement of the account. On the 10th of September 2019, there were six transactions.
“The last five transactions were ATM cash withdrawals of N30,000 (Thirty Thousand Naira) each. The last transaction on 10 August 2019 was a transfer of N3,600,000.00 (Three Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira) from Sotirin Jide Abiodun to Olu Agunloy,” he added.
He went on to say that Agunloye was the beneficiary of substantial money transfers in 2019. He received N500,000 from Sotirin Jide Abiodun on October 22, 2019. On November 13, 2019, Jide Sotirin made another transfer of N1,121,000 from Leno.
Agunloye’s account additionally revealed an inward transfer from Sotinrin Jide Abiodun on August 10, 2019, of N3.6 million (three million, six hundred thousand naira).
Continuing to disclose, he stated: “As of 22 October 2019, a record of N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) was transferred from Sotirin Jide Abiodun to Olu Agunloye. On 13 November 2019, a record of N1,121,000 (One Million One Hundred and Twenty-one Thousand Naira) from Leno in favour of Agunloye Olu from Jide Sotirin.
“On 10 August 2019 was an inward transfer of N3,600,000.00 (Three Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira) from Sotinrin Jide Abiodun. On 22 October 2019, there was an inflow of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from Sotirin Jide Abiodun. Also, on 13th November 2019 was an inflow of N1 121,000 (One Million One Hundred and Twenty-one Thousand Naira) in favor of Agunloye Olu from Jide Sotirin,” he revealed.
A cross-examination date of October 21, 2024, was set for the case, BrandSpur Nigeria News Today reports.
