Bank Manager Helped Dudafa To Hide Stolen Funds – EFCC

Waripamo-Owei Dudafa Photo Credit (The Nation Online)

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused a bank manager in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State of helping Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, a Former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Gooluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs to hide his stolen funds.

Rotimi Oyedepo, the counsel to the commission, while responding to the no case submission by Dudafa in a written address, prayed for the dismissal of Dudafa’s no-case submission, urging the court to direct him to open his defence.

Dudafa and Iwejuo Joseph Nna have been dragged  before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos on 23-count charge of conspiracy to conceal proceeds of crime amounting to over N1.6billion on June 11, 2013.

The prosecuting counsel argued that the testimonies of the seven prosecution witnesses and exhibits tendered have proven beyond reasonable doubt that the EFCC had established the essential ingredient of the offence of conspiracy against the defendants.

“My Lord, the evidence on record shows clearly that the first defendant (Dudafa) was appointed by the Federal Government of Nigeria as the Senior Special Assistant to the President –Domestic/Household and Social Events between the years 2012-2015.

“The evidence on record shows that in the course of this service, huge sums of money which are not the first defendant’s salary and allowances were traced to accounts which he procured the second defendant (Nna) to open, maintain and operate in fictitious names.

“The second defendant, who at the material time was the Branch manager in Yenagoa branch of Heritage Bank, acceded to the request of the first defendant and agreed with him to conceal these funds in the accounts opened in the name of Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited, Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited, Ebiwise Resources, Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Rotato Interlink Services Limited and De Jakes Fast Food and Restaurant Nigeria Limited.”  he said.

The Nation reports that Oyedepo stated that the evidence on record established a prima facie case that the funds were received in foreign currencies from Dudafa by Murtala Bashir Abubakar through the State House staff.