By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA— The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, tendered evidence against the former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, who is answering to a nine-count money laundering charge.

The anti-graft agency, brought its lead investigator, Mr. Junaidu Sa’id, who it said uncovered how Suswam who piloted the affairs of Benue State from 2007 to 2015,  diverted about N3.1billion  from the public treasury, to testify before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday.

Suswam is facing trial alongside his erstwhile Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Omodachi Okolobia.

The duo were alleged to have looted about N3.1billion, being proceeds of shares owned by the Benue State government and Benue Investment and Property Company Ltd.

They were docked before the high court on November 10.

Gov Suswam

Though they pleaded not giulty to the charge, however, EFCC, maintained that it has sufficient evidence to prove that the former governor and his alleged accomplice, committed an offence punishable under section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012.

Led into evidence yesterday by the prosecuting counsel Mr. Rotimi  Jacobs, SAN, the EFCC investigator, Sa’id, narrated before the court how Suswam allegedly connived with his erstwhile Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Okolobia and diverted funds into his private bank accounts.

The witness, told the court that after the accused person sold shares owned by the Benue State government and Benue Investment and Property Company Ltd, they transferred the proceeds to two separate bank accounts at Zenith Bank Plc.

Sa’id maintained that investigations by the anti-graft commission  revealed that out of N9billion the accused persons raised from sale of the shares, they diverted N3.1billion, a sum he said they eventually used Bureau de Change operators to  convert to about $15.8million.

The witness said: “My Lord, sometime in July,2015, the Commission received a petition dated July 14, against the 1st defendant, Dr. Gabriel Suswam and the 2nd defendant, Mr. Omodachi Okolobia.

“Upon receipt of the petition, it was assigned to my team for investigation. In the course of the investigation, staff of the Benue State Investment and Properties Company, BIBC, and staff of Elixir Investment Partners Limited, were invited.