EFCC witness disowns petition he submitted against Senate President

dimeji akinloye

April 19, 2016 6:33 PM

During cross-examination by Saraki's lead counsel, Kanu Agabi, Wetkas said he was not involved in the investigation.

An investigator of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),

The petition marked “Exhibit 11″ was written by a group known as Kwara Freedom Network, alleging corruption against Saraki.

During cross-examination by Saraki's lead counsel, Kanu Agabi, Wetkas said he was not involved in the investigation of the petition he tendered as evidence at the tribunal

When asked whether he confirmed that local government funds were illegally deducted as stated in the petition he said: “Not part of the investigation I carried out.”

“Do you know whether the petition was addressed to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB),” Agabi asked.

Wetkas replied: “I don’t work for the CCB. I wouldn’t know.”

The excerpts of the cross-examination is as follows:

Agabi: “In terms illegal transfer of funds by the accountant general, was he invited?”

Wetkas: “I cannot say because I was not the one in charge of this.”

Agabi: “Did you know if this exhibit was referred to him for an answer?

Wetkas: “I wouldn’t know, but he was once invited.”

Agabi: “Did you meet with the members of Kwara Freedom Network?”

Wetkas: “It was not part of my investigation.”

Agabi: “In the course of your work, did you come upon any document in which members of this network were called upon to justify their petition.”

Wetkas: “I was involved in this investigation in 2014; the petition was in 2012.”

Agabi: “Have you read the petition?”

Wetkas: “I only perused through it.”

Agabi: “When you tendered this document, did it occur to you that you will be questioned?”

Wetkas: “This is not the aspect I investigated. Someone more competent than me will talk about it.”

Agabi: “Did your perusal show that the asset declaration of the defendant was the issue.”

Wetkas: “I can’t remember seeing that.”

Agabi: “Did you obtain any statement from the defendant on this petition?”

Wetkas: “It was not part of my investigation. I didn’t investigate this aspect of the petition. There are people who are more competent to talk about it.”

Agabi: “Exhibit 11 (the petition) is not addressed to the CCB. No action was taken for four years after exhibit 11 was received?”

Wetkas: “I cannot say that. I didn’t investigate exhibit 11.”

READ: ‘Senators should stop attending Saraki’s trial,’ CCT says

Pulse recalls that while testifying against Saraki at the tribunal on April 5, Wetkas had alleged that the Senate President used fictitious names to launder billions of naira.

The EFCC detective also claimed that Saraki’s personal account at GTB had an inflow of about N4 billion between 2005 and 2013.

dimeji akinloye