Yuguda: I Disbursed N600m to Bode George, Ali, Nwobodo, Odili, Others

Yuguda: I Disbursed N600m to Bode George, Ali, Nwobodo, Odili, Others

14 Dec 2015

 Former Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Bashir Yuguda

• Probe selective, Says PDP
 By Iyobosa Uwugiaren and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja  
The former Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Bashir Yuguda, has disclosed how he disbursed a total of N600 million to some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to fund the 2015 presidential campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The former minister in an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Statement of Witness/Caution — made on oath — explained that the money, which was given to him by the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), was disbursed to six chairmen of the Contact and Mobilisation Committee of the PDP presidential campaign.
Yuguda listed the beneficiaries of the cash disbursement as Chief Bode George, Ambassador Yerima Abdullahi, Chief Peter Odili, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, Chief Jim Nwobodo and Senator Ahmadu Ali.
But the PDP yesterday asked the federal government to expand the scope of its probe to include the investigation of all past governments from 1984 to date.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the ongoing investigations into its campaign funding ought to include a probe of all past presidential campaigns as well as the funding of the 2015 presidential campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Accusing the federal government of selective prosecution of the war against corruption, the PDP called for the establishment of a National Truth Commission where all sides of the divide would be free to come and express themselves.
"In the light of the way and manner of this government's selective prosecution of the war against corruption, the PDP challenges the government to set up a National Truth Commission wherein politicians and other Nigerians publicly discuss the true meaning of corrupt practice in our land,” the party said.
Yuguda in his statement made to the EFCC said he instructed a company, Jabbama Limited, to transfer N300 million to BAM Properties whose account detail was given to him by the former National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bello Haliru.
Yuguda also stated that he sent N200 million to the erstwhile PDP governorship candidate in Kebbi State, Alhaji Bello Sarkin Yaki, and N100 million to the former Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, Mr. Wilson Uwujiaren, who confirmed these to THISDAY last night, said the statement made by Yuguda was part of the proof of evidence against the former minister, whose trial is expected to start this week at the Federal High Court.
Yuguda, according to the EFCC, is expected to account for N3.050 billion.
“For the cash disbursement of N600 million, it was meant for the six zonal chairmen for Contact and Mobilisation Committees for the Election of 2015. The chairmen are Bode George, Amb. Yerima Abdullahi; Peter Odili; Attahiru Bafarawa; Jim Nwobodo; Ahmadu Ali", the former minister was quoted as saying in his statement.
The EFCC said Yuguda stated that: "The sum of N100 million was given to each chairman. I gave the money in company of Prof. Alkali, who was Political Adviser to former president. The zonal chairmen are for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I also instructed Jabbama Limited to transfer the sum of N100m to Dalhatu Limited on the request of Attahiru Bafarawa.
“I also remember that Bello Sarkin Yaki was among the people that the then NSA instructed that I send the sum of N200 million to.
“When the account was in credit, disbursement was made from time to time on the instruction of the then NSA. Part in foreign exchange or transfers.’’
The embattled ex-minister added that sometime in February 2015, he instructed Jabbama to transfer the sum of N300 million to BAM Properties, saying the account was given to him by Haliru as one of the people the former NSA requested him to give money.
He added: "I also remember that Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi was sent the sum of N100 million on the instruction of the then NSA. I shall endeavour to recover the sum of N600 million given to the six zonal PDP committee chairmen, while I appeal to the commission to use their machineries to trace the remaining balance of the money transferred to various accounts.”
Some of the criminal charges against Yuguda are that he aggregated the sum of N1.1 billion being part of the funds in the account of the former NSA with the CBN, and thereby committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when he transferred same to the account of Jabbama Ada Global Services Nigeria Limited for the purpose of financing the campaign of the PDP in the 2015 general election, and thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol.4, LFN 2004.
The former Minister of State for Finance is also charged with dishonestly misappropriating certain property to wit: an aggregate sum of $9,809,619 which was an equivalent of the aggregate sum of N1.9 billion belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which sum was transferred to Jabbama Ada Global Services to be converted into the said dollars and thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol.4, LFN 2004.
Similarly, the EFCC told THISDAY that the former Governor of Sokoto State, Bafarawa, who is also facing criminal charges, had admitted that he collected N100 million from Yuguda through his son, Sagir.
 Bafarawa was also said to have received N100 million from the North-west Campaign Committee through the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, in Abuja in the presence of all the zonal chairmen.
As the former minister awaits his day in court, his party, the PDP, has demanded the extension of the ongoing probe of expenditures made during President Jonathan's era to cover other administrations from 1984 to date.
The party said though it had nothing against the probe, it believed that in the spirit of fairness and justice, the APC-led government should not engage in one-sided public trial and mob conviction of accused persons.
 It said in order to exhibit such transparency and fairness, President Muhammadu Buhari should investigate the source of funding of the PDP and APC's 2015 presidential campaigns.
The opposition party called for the setting up of a National Truth Commission where debates on issues relating to campaign funding would be held.
While restating its support for an honest, holistic and total war against corruption, the PDP demanded the trial and prosecution of all those involved, including those who may have returned 'loots' to the government.
"However, we are completely against any one-sided public trial and mob conviction of accused persons without following the age-long and worldwide legal process wherein all accused persons are presumed innocent until the contrary is lawfully proved,” it said.
According to the party, “We do not believe that mere investigation confers a guilty verdict on those concerned and the government should stop the brutal mob and public conviction of individuals and the transfer of the burden of proof of people being investigated.”
The PDP said it was unfair to narrow the current investigations of the nation’s security vote spending to the administration of President Jonathan alone. "The security votes of all past Presidents and Heads of state from 1984 should be investigated,” it said.