₦32bn Police Pension Scam: How ₦14bn vanished without my knowledge – Adebolu

The Head of Internal Audit at the Police Pension Office, Mr. Adeyemo Julius Adebolu, yesterday, narrated before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, how about ₦14billion meant for pensioners across the federation, vanished overnight.

Adebolu, who mounted the witness box yesterday, said he never received any voucher for audit payment of the funds which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said was stolen by seven civil servants.

Those fingered in the fraud were Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang, Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs. Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, and Christian Madubuike.

In total, the anti-graft agency told the court that the accused persons succeeded in pilfering about ₦32billion meant for retired police officers.

At the resumed hearing on the matter yesterday, Adebolu who was led in evidence by EFCC lawyer Mr Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told trial Justice Husseini Baba when he was shown First Bank statement of account of the police pension office on withdrawals to the tune of ₦14 billion that the withdrawals under his watch were a big embarrassment done without his knowledge.

“I didn’t know anything about the cheques before that day,” he lamented.

When asked if there was any voucher backing the payments, the witness said: “Honestly sir, there is no voucher I received for audit payment, that’s the truth.”

The witness had earlier told the court that there was a federal government circular mandating all payments to be made via E-payments from January 1, 2009 and that the police pension office had flouted that orders up till September 2009.

Meanwhile, the court yesterday admitted the circular as Exhibit P5, even as the prosecution tendered as Exhibits, bundles of certified Cheques from the First bank as Exhibit P4 raised in the names of two accused persons Veronica U Onyegbula / Director, Police Pension Office (DPPO).

Adebolu also told the court that it was when he was invited to EFCC that he was shown the bank statement and cheques with regards to the payment.

He told the court that verification exercise/tours were conducted up to four times in a year in the police pension office and that he made payments on an average of ₦400million for the Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) for officers involved in the verification exercises.

Besides, the witness cited an instance where he got an alert of ₦2million and ₦5million respectively and when he sought clarification from the Head of Account, Mr John Yakubu Yusuf, he was told that the money is meant for payment of the senate and house committee members on police pension.

He said when he asked why the money was raised in his name, he was told that management had agreed that the money will be paid in cash rather than electronically and the voucher duly approved by the Director, Police Pension Office was then raised before he cashed and handed over the ₦7million from his account to the Head of the central pay Office.

The witness also told the court that during festivity periods like Sallah, Christmas and Easter, Mr Yusuf, had on about five occasions, called him and gave him money for his section, totalling ₦3.5million. “The instruction will always be that I should take 60% and share the balance to others, so because we are many, I take 30% and shared according to our rank”.

Meantime, counsel to the first accused person, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, asked the witness if the EFCC invited him in writing or on phone, Adebolu replied and said he was invited on phone through his director.

The defence then asked for an adjournment to enable him to cross examine the witness effectively, saying he is very important in the trial.

Consequently, Justice Baba adjourned the case to December 5 and 6 for continuation of trial.

Source: Vanguard