EFCC’s witness exonerates ex SGF Babachir Lawal of complicity in alleged N544m contract fraud

A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Julius Sunday Babalola yesterday told an Abuja High Court that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) knew nothing about the N544 million contract in which criminal charges were filed against him.

Babalola told the court that the Minister’s Tenders Board for the Presidential Initiative for North East was solely responsible for the award of the contract.

Testifying for EFCC before Justice Charles Agbasa, the witness told the court that Babachir Lawal was not a member of the Tenders’ Board and did not participate in any stage of award for the jobs.

Contrary to the allegations of EFCC that two contracts were awarded under emergency procurement procedure, the witness clarified that 18 contracts were actually awarded.

He, however, said that he was not aware of the prosecution of 16 others except the two where the younger brother of the former SGF was alleged to have interest.

Babalola, who is the Head of Procurement Department in the Office of the SGF, insisted that diligent and due process was followed by the Tenders’ Board members for the selection of the contractors.

The witness narrated to the court that the former SGF never participated in the activities of the Presidential Initiative for the North East, (Pine) and the Ministerial Tenders Board under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The witness who was cross-examined by counsel to Babachir Lawal, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), admitted that he authored all the memos that led to the award of the contracts.

He said that the contracts were awarded by the Ministerial Tenders’ Board with due respect to the Emergency Procurement Act 2007.

New Telegraph