18th October, 2019
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has presented a fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the former Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, Umar Bature Masari, before Justice Okon Abang, of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Masari is facing prosecution for alleged fraud, money laundering and gratification in an amended 22-count charge to the tune of N108 million when he was first arraigned before the trial Judge on April 10, 2019 on a 17-count charge.
At the resumed hearing, the witness, a civil servant with SMEDAN, Abu Ozigi, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, E.E. Iheanacho, told the court that he knew the defendant well as the former director general of SMEDAN, and had worked with him since April 11, 2005.
He said they worked together in executing specific projects through SMEDAN capital allocation and zonal intervention programmes, which were basically constituency projects, located in the various senatorial districts and federal constituencies.
“We do this through capacity building and facilitating their (national legislators) access to the resources required for their development such as work space, equipment and machinery”, he said. Meanwhile, the trial judge has adjourned the case to November 4, 2019, for continuation of trial.