Al Haleel was arrested by EFCC over allegations that he obtained the sum of N60 million from Teidi after promising that he will to facilitate a meeting between him and the Vice President Namadi Sambo to ensure that the former Director of Pension got nominated as the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Kogi state.
Teidi, a former Director, Pension Administration in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, victim of the N60million scam, is also an accused person standing trial by the EFCC over a N4.56 billion Pension scam. He is being tried alongside 39 other accused persons.
While giving testimony at the resumed hearing of the case before Justice Mohammed Shuaibu, the ex-pension boss said sometimes in 2011, he visited the accused and discussed his political issues with him. “I told him I needed a ticket for the governorship race in Kogi state most especially from the office of the Vice President and also clearance from former EFCC chairman, Farida Waziri, whom he claimed he had contacted”, Teidi said.
Teidi further told the court that to facilitate his ticket from the Vice President, Al Haleel told him that the vice president would need N10m, for his clearance and N50million for Mrs. Waziri.
Teidi said he gave the N10m to the accused personally at his house while another $320,000 was delivered to him at home by his driver. “He then called me to say that I should change the $320,000 to naira equivalent as he claimed that Mrs. Waziri said she needed it in naira equivalent’’, Teidi claimed.
According to Teidi, he had to change the dollar to naira equivalent which amounted to N50 million which he personally took to Al Haleel and immediately he collected the sixty million naira from him, he stopped picking his calls, a development that prompted Teidi to call Mr. Smith, the link between the two of them and reported Al Haleel to him.
“After he collected the money, he stopped picking my calls which prompted my calling Mr. Smith and he told me to try him again and I did. He, Al Haleel then sent me a text message saying he will not take it lightly with Mrs. Farida Waziri. He said he was going to hold her responsible for that money’’, he claimed.
When asked by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Austin Emumejakpor what he did when he discovered Al Haleel was no longer picking his call, he told the court that he went to Al Haleel house after several calls only to be told that he travelled; and he never set his eyes on him again.
Teidi said the N60 million given to Al Haleel purportedly for the duo of the Vice President, Architect Namadi Sambo and Mrs. Waziri was never delivered.
In response to a question as to how he knew that the money was not delivered, he said he knew because he never got a clearance from Mrs. Waziri and nothing also came from the Vice President too.
The defence counsel, Sani Katung, while cross examining Teidi asked if he delivered the money with his driver and also if the initial $320,000 was rejected by Al Haleel due to its bulky nature, Teidi said the question was misleading because naira notes are bulkier than dollars and that he did not go there with his driver.
Katung further asked if he told his driver what the money was meant for and Teidi said he never disclosed that to him.
Katung again asked if he has a pending case with the EFCC and he said yes but pointed out that this particular issue took place before the EFCC case against him.
Al Haleel who was arraigned by the EFCC on Wednesday, 16 November 2011, on a four count charge will be returning to the court on 1 March, 2012, for continuation of trial.(credit: pm news)
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