The Federal Government on Thursday opened its case against a former
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, who is being
prosecuted on one count of false asset declaration.
The first prosecution witness, Samuel Madojemu, an official of the
Code of Conduct Bureau, who testified on Thursday, accused Orubebe of
failing to declare his property at Plot 2057, Asokoro District, Abuja,
as a minister between 2007 and 2011.
Madojemu, who co-ordinates CCB’s “intelligence on observed breaches
of the code and asset tracing investigation”, said Orubebe submitted
five asset declaration forms to the bureau between 2007 and 2011, the
period he served as minister.
Orubebe submitted the five forms to the CCB first as Minister of
Special Duties under the administration of the late President Umar
Yar’adua, and later as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs up till 2011
under the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
The witness said the Certificate of Occupancy for the property
obtained from the land registry of the Federal Capital Territory
Administration showed that it was issued to Orubebe on April 10, 2011
but that the former minister failed to declare it as of the time of
leaving office on May 29, 2011.
The witness, who was led in evidence by the Director of Public
Prosecution of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Diri, said Orubebe refused
to honour invitation by the bureau during the investigation of an
intelligence report obtained concerning him.
Madojemu said, “The defendant declared his assets to the bureau by
virtue of his position as a public officer and as a minister of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I was instructed to invite him to the bureau for the purpose of
obtaining his statement on the allegations and intelligence report that
was being handled by the bureau concerning him.
“I invited him. He promised to respond by sending his legal team.
He also promised that he might decide to come in person but he did not
come.
“My Lord, the bureau issued him with Form CCB 1 which is the
bureau’s asset declaration form and he made his declaration between 2007
and 2011 – the period under investigation.
“The Code of Conduct Bureau issued the defendant the Form CCB 1
five times. For those five times, he made his asset declaration to the
bureau.
“My Lord, after we received the form, we examined the form as part
of our procedures to ascertain if there was over-declaration or
under-declaration.
“We conducted intelligence assessment on the declaration made by
the defendant. We discovered that there were some other plots or
properties that were traced to the defendant, Godsday Orubebe.
“We conducted record examination by writing a letter to the Federal Capital Territory’s Department of Land Administration.
“My Lord, in their response, which was in writing, it was indicated
that Plot 2057 Asokoro District for which the Certificate of Occupancy
was issued on April 10, 2011, belonged to the defendant.
“We thereafter compared the information arising from response from
the FCT land administration department with the information on asset
declaration forms submitted to the bureau between 2007 and 2011 and
discovered that Plot 2057 Asokoro District belonging to the defendant
was not declared even as at May 29, 2011 when he left office.
“Apart from the letter from FCT land administration registry, we
also received Certified True Copy of the Certificate of Occupancy in
respect of Plot number 2057 issued to the defendant.
“We also received the CTC of the Right of Occupancy for that same Plot No 2057 issued to the defendant.
“Also received from the FCT land administration registry, was a
letter of authority, given to one Engineer Rodney by the defendant to
collect the Certificate of Occupancy and the Right of Occupancy from the
FCT land registry. It was supported by the (international passport)
page of the defendant.”
Madojemu said the reason for inviting Orubebe was to ask him why he
failed to declare the asset which he acquired about one month to the
expiration of his tenure.
Orubebe who was decked in a white native attire and a black hat, sat in the dock throughout the proceedings.
He was accompanied to court by a group of women and other supporters.
The trial was adjourned till April 14 for cross-examination of the witness.
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