EFCC tenders audio evidence in $25,000 bribery allegation against Shehu Sani

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has presented fresh evidence against former Senator for Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.

The commission, through a witness to the complainant, played an audio recording to prove the $25,000 bribery allegations against the former lawmaker.

The 20 minutes audio conversation, according to the prosecuting agency, was between Senator Sani and Alhaji Sani Dauda, the nominal complainant in the case.

Sani had claimed the $25,000 given to Dauda was part payment for the purchase of the Peugeot vehicle.

But the witness said there was no evidence of vehicle purchase.

With the approval of the judge, the witness played an audio conversation alleged to be between the defendant (Shehu Sani) and the complainant (Dauda) which lasted for about 20 minutes. The conversation was in Hausa language.

However, technical hitches made it impossible to play the English conversation.

Sani is standing trial on  a two-count charge bordering on bribery, name-dropping and influence-peddling.

The EFCC has accused him of fraudulently obtaining the sum of $25,000 from the Chairman of ASD Group of Companies and board member, Peugeot Automobile Ltd, Alhaji Dauda.

It further alleged that the former lawmaker collected the money from Dauda under the false pretence that it would be used to bribe its suspended Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, so as to shield him from investigation and prosecution.

The anti-graft agency equally accused Sani of collecting under false pretence, the sum of $15,000 from Dauda under the guise that the Chief Justice of Nigeria approved that the money should be given to four judges and a prosecutor, for them to hands-off his case and that of his estranged in-law, one Abubakar Musa.

However,  Senator Sani had since denied the allegations as he pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Trial Justice Ekwo had on October 21, 2020, admitted the $25,000 cash and two Samsung phones, in evidence.

At the resumption of trial, the audio evidence was tendered through the 10th prosecution witness (PW10), Bako Aliyu, who brought two of the electronic generated evidence.

Under cross-examination by AA Ibrahim, Sani’s counsel, Aliyu admitted that he was not there when the $25,000 was handed over to EFCC by the complainant.

He also confirmed that in all the written statements obtained from the defendant, there was no admittance of guilt.

When asked if Ibrahim Magu, former EFCC acting chairman, was questioned, having been implicated in the petition, Aliyu replied in the affirmative.

He said Magu denied the allegations when he was interviewed.

The witness further told the court that the EFCC began the investigation after it received an oral complaint from Dauda.

The witness said he did not know if the complainant has any pending case with either the EFCC or the CJN to warrant the $25, 000 bribe allegedly paid to the defendant.

The case has been adjourned to March 16 for continuation.