He said however that there were “Authority Cost Estimates” which  would be further explained  by other witnesses. Bode George and MD, NPA, Architect Aminu Dabo and four others were answering a 68-count charge of conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order on policy guidelines for procurement and award of contracts in government ministries and parastatals.

At the resumed hearing of the case, before Justice Joseph Oyewole of the Ikeja High Court, the prosecution witness tendered the copies of the Minutes of the Board of the NPA held on 12, 16, 18 of November 2003 and a copy of the reports of the investigating panel which examined the activities of the NPA under Bode George.

Moment this was done, the defence team led by Chief Tunji Ayanlaja (SAN) representing George started their cross examinations.

Under cross examinations by the counsel  to Bode George, the witness told the court that the evidence he had on the case before the court was based on the Minutes of the meeting of the Board presided by George and the reports from the investigating panel instituted by the presidency.

According to him, there was no indication from the minutes of the Board meetings that contracts were inflated or split and that the Board on its own never for once awarded any contracts according to the minutes of the meetings, except the management of the NPA.

Ajala, said “Our investigations were based on the activities of the Board and that of the NPA and not any individual. The concern of the investigating committee was on the activities of the board. The second defendant (NPA MD) was investigated and interviewed as the MD of the NPA. Some members could not be traced, so they could not be interviewed.

All the efforts to interview the first defendant (George) proved abortive, though he later reported at Abuja but I don’t know the time. I was only informed of his appearance.“The management presented the quotations of the contracts to the Board and the contracts were awarded, there was no inflation of contracts on the face of the papers before me.”

On the issue of the controversial award of contract for the refurbishment of 32 vessels by the NPA, the prosecution witness told the court that the contracts emanated from the management and eventually approved by the Board for  a Holland based company.

He however said that his testimonies were based on the preliminaries of his team investigations which emanated from the two minutes of the Board meetings held at different times and the report of the Presidential Special Committees.

He added that his job as investigating team ended with the conclusion of the Committee’s assignment as he was subsequently transferred to Kano’s office of the EFCC.

Asked whether he remembered collecting the handover note from the MD before or after the investigation, the witness said  that he cannot remember asking for any handover note.At this juncture, the court the court adjourned till November 25 for further hearing.

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