The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday called its first witness in the N3.4bn fraud suit filed against the immediate-past Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpolobokemi, and nine others.

The accused were arraigned by the EFCC on 30 counts on December 3 last year before Justice Saliu Saidu of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Akpobolokemi’s alleged accomplices are Capt. Ezekiel Agaba; Ekene Nwakuche; Felix Bob-Nabena; Capt. Warredi Enisouh; Governor Juan; Ugo Frederick and Timi Alari.

They were charged alongside two companies – Al-kenzo Limited and Penniel Engineering Services Limited.

They were said to have committed the alleged offence between December 2013 and July 2015.

The EFCC accused them of contravening Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition/Amendment) Act of 2012, and said they were liable to punishment under Section 15 (3).

In count one, Akpobolokemi and others allegedly “conspired among themselves to commit an offence, to wit: conversion of N1,151,214,000.00, property of NIMASA, money derived from stealing…”

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges.

The EFCC on Wednesday called its first witness, Teslim Adekunle, a Compliance officer at Zenith Bank Plc.

Led in evidence by the EFCC prosecutor, Festus Keyamo, Adekunle told the court that between August and December 2015, Zenith Bank received several enquiries from the EFCC as regards the statement of account, opening package and Certificate of Identification of three companies – Interwind Limited, Margai Intergerated Limited and Grandpact Limited.

Further evidence could, however, not be taken from the witness as an attempt to tender a document on one Thlumba Enterprise Limited was opposed by Akpobolokemi’s lawyer, Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN), who pointed out that the document was only a photocopy.

An attempt to withdraw the document was also opposed by Nwobike.

Justice Saidu adjourned till Thursday to rule on the admissibility of the document, after which trial is expected to proceed.

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