Tuesday, 19 April 2016

How Saraki paid N522m for luxury property in Ikoyi – EFCC.....


The trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki kicked off at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Monday with another astounding revelation by the prosecution, the Economic and Financial Crimes Tribunal.
The EFCC’s witness, Micheal Wetkas told the tribunal that Saraki purchased a property at 17, McDonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos for N522 million which he paid for in seven tranches.
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Counsel of the EFCC presented cheques drawn from Saraki’s personal account and that of his firm, Calie properties and Investment Limited, which were used to pay for the property.
According to the EFCC, Saraki bought the property using the name of  Tiny Tee Limited from the Presidential Committee on the Sale of Federal Government Properties between 2006 and 2007.
“The part payment was from GTB account of Carlie Properties and Investment Ltd.

“There is a draft before me for N256,300,000 which was part payment for 17, Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.
“There is another draft before me of N12,815,000 which was  part payment for 17, Mcdonald, Ikoyi.
“There is another draft of  a total of N24,090,000. That total is broken down into. – N20m from Zenith Bank and N4,090,000 from GTB. The total of the two are part payment for 17 Mcdonald, Ikoyi.
“The N20m from the Zenith Bank account of Carlie Properties and Investments Ltd while N4,090,000 was also from Carlie Properties and Investment Ltd with GTB.
“There is another draft before me for N180,675,000 dated April 3, 2007. It was also part payment for 17 Mcdonald Ikoyi from the defendant’s personal account with GTB.
“I have another draft of N36,135,000 dated January 10, 2007. The draft was cleared in Carlie Properties and Investments Ltd’s account in GTB and that also forms part payment for 17 Mcdonald, Ikoyi.
“There is another draft of N12,045,000 dated January 10, 2007.” declared the witness.
All the drafts were tendered and admitted as exhibits.
Also admitted as exhibits among other documents was Saraki’s asset declaration form submitted to the CCB in 2011.
Earlier, the witness revealed how Saraki funded the property at 15 Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, which the Senate President allegedly declared as 15 A and B, Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Wetkas had in his testimony of March 18, 2016, alleged that the Senate President declared that he acquired the property in 2003 whereas he only purchased it from the Presidential Implementation Committee on Sale of Federal Government Property in 2006.
The witness said on Monday,  “Like I said my lord, the property at 15, Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos was bought from the Presidential Implementation Committee on Sale of Federal Government Properties. We wrote to the implementation committee and they responded that the property is at 15, Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos and another one, Block 15, Flat 1 to 4, Macdonald Ikoyi Lagos. They said these were the addresses they had with respect to Mcdonald Ikoyi Lagos.
Saraki, is facing trial for corruption and false declaration of assets. And the trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal is now to proceed on a day-to-day basis.
Source: The Punch

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