Fidelity Bank Revealed How It Shared Large Sum Of Money Including N450 Million Campaign Funds To Sarah Ochekpe, Others In The North, After Holding Secret Meeting With Ex-Minister Diezani

At the continuation of the hearing of the suit filed by the EFCC against former Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe and two others at the Federal High Court, Jos, the Personal Assistant to the Fidelity Bank MD revealed how he and his MD, met with former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison Madueke at a secret meeting where four accounts were opened for oil and Gas firms.

He also revealed how they were instructed by the former Petroleum Minister Diezani to release campaign funds to Sarah Ochekpe,  Raymond Dabo, as well other long list of beneficiaries in the North.

Speaking further when he was asked about customers’ record  he said; “I am not handling customers so I am not aware of customers’ record,” he explained.

The Fidelity Bank Managing Director’s PA, told the court that they assisted the former minister of Petroleum, Mrs.  Alison Diezani Maduke in several secret meeting as they agreed and arranged for how to disburse the alleged campaign fund while testifying in court.

According to him; “sometimes in 2015 earlier before the tenure of Jonathan expired, we were invited for a meeting at NNPC Towers myself, My Managing Director and the Former Minister Mrs. Alison Diezani Madueke met in a secret meeting behind close door on how to disburse the money, the meeting also included Minister’s son were at the meeting that took several hours when the ex- Minister introduced us to four principal accounts owners and told us that they’re going to open account with Fidelity Bank PLC.

The PW2 maintained that those companies they engaged before the commencement of disbursement of the funds include, Midwest Oil and Gas ,Aucus Nigeria Ltd , Northern Belts Oil and Gas and others he can’t remember, he said however after the meeting the four principal companies came and opened accounts with Fidelity.

Meanwhile, the EFCC counsel Barr. Yakubu  Muntaka as he was trying to impress the judge lost control by asking the 3rd defendant counsel to put the issue straight.

The PW3 the head of Northern operations ,Mr. Aliyu Ibrahim told the prosecution counsel that; “on March, 2015 while they were in a meeting, Martin Uzuogee called my attention to an email sent through the MD of Fidelity Bank PLC containing instruction to pay certain beneficiaries in the North and attached with the names of all the beneficiaries in each states with their GSM number, so when I now saw the instruction with designation ,receipt payment which contained addresses, amounts and figures including the beneficiaries addresses ,signature, we proceeded to the affected States.

“I received one letter, Fidelity Bank PLC Northern Head of operations told the defense counsel ,Sunday Oyawole that the details of all the transaction was revealed inside the transaction exhibits 2 “, he said.

The Head of northern operations of the Fidelity Bank PLC told the court he don’t  know the names of all the beneficiaries except ,Sarah Ochepke ,Raymond Dabo and Evangelist Leo Sunday Jitong as part of those name in the list .

Meanwhile, the Fidelity Bank Managing Director, Personal Assistant who is the PW2 Mr. Daniel Okorie jettisoned the court order by remaining inside the court while the counsel to the defense was cross examining the PW1 during the sitting on Thursday.

An observation which the Counsel to the 3rd defendant, Barr .Gabriel Zi raised during his cross examination of PW2 on Friday added that he discovered the PA was sited close to the temple justice  inside the court during the proceeding.

Justice Musa Kurya of federal high court however adjourned the matter to the 25th June,2018 for the defense counsel Sunday Oyawole to obtain exhibit 2 details of list of names of the original beneficiaries in the north.

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