Lagos — A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday,  was told that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, did not investigate whether former Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Raymond Omatseye, stole money from a contract awarded for the supply of 100 Blackberry  phones.

Testifying in the trial of the former NIMASA boss, who EFCC re-arraigned before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on an amended 27-count charge bordering on contract scam, an EFCC investigator, Ibrahim Ahmed, said his enquiry indicated that the phones were actually delivered. The contract was said to be worth N22.05million.

“I did investigate whether the accused made any financial gain from the contract,” Ahmed said, noting  that he did not find out whether the contractor, Anchor Offshore Services Limited, was specially promised the contract by Omatseye.

Omatseye pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was  re-arraigned because of the transfer of the former judge, Justice  Binta Murtala-Nyako.

He was charged with alleged illegal transfer of the agency’s fund and contract splitting estimated at over N1.5 billion.

During cross-examination by defence counsel, Ahmed said the other contractors,  who bidded for the supply did not make any complaints about the Anchor enjoying any special favours.

Ahmed, who claimed NIMASA’s governing board did not approve the supply, added that he did not have evidence of the non-approval.

“I made a statement on December 3, 2010 when the matter was still fresh in my mind. I did not indicate that I asked for minutes of the meeting where approval was given for the purchase of the Blackberry phones. The market survey we did showed that Blackberry was N120,000 as at 2010, but I can’t remember the specification. I don’t know if there are different kinds of Blackberry phones,” he told the court.