$6bn Mambilla saga: No presidential directive to Agunloye, EFCC witness tells court

Agunloye

A prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday told a federal capital territory (FCT) high court sitting in Apo, Abuja, that there was no specific presidential directive issued to Olu Agunloye, former minister of power and steel, to award the Mambilla hydroelectric power station contract.

Agunloye is facing an amended seven-count charge bordering on disobedience to presidential directives, gratification, and forgery before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.

According to the EFCC, the former minister, on May 22, 2003, allegedly disobeyed a directive purportedly issued at the federal executive council (FEC) meeting of May 21, 2003, by approving a contract with Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) for the construction of the 3,960 MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station. The anti-graft agency further alleged that Agunloye received N5.2 million gratification from SPTCL and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, through one Jide Abiodun Sotinrin. Testifying as the third prosecution witness (PW3), Umar Babangida, an assistant commissioner of police (ACP), said EFCC’s investigation into the Mambilla project led to the charges against the former minister.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Adeola Adedipe, Babangida confirmed that the first count in the charge concerns disobedience to a presidential directive. Thecable