THE star witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, said documents against Saraki had reportedly burnt in a Nigerian bank, where the said fund was transferred from.
This was as he said although he led the team that investigated Saraki, he never met the Senate president for interrogation or obtaining statement from him.
The witness, Michael Wetkas, who was cross examined based on count-11 of the charge, which borders on foreign account operation when Saraki was governor of Kwara State, also told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) that documents relating to Saraki’s alleged transfer of $73,233.28 were burnt before the commencement of trial.
The Federal Government is prosecuting the Senate President over an alleged false and anticipatory declaration of assets.
He told the tribunal during cross examination by a defence counsel, Paul Usoro, that the documents relating to the said allegation, contained in count-11 of the charge against Saraki, was reported to have been burnt in a Nigerian bank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), where the said fund was transferred from.
“There is an affidavit and I believe it was fire outbreak,” he told the Danladi Umar-led tribunal.
Wetkas told the tribunal that his investigative team came across the information concerning Saraki’s foreign account through several telexes from the American Express Bank, provided to the team by GTB.
He added that the requests made by his investigation team for the telexes was a result of a debit transaction noticed in Saraki’s account.
“There is no doubt that the transaction was actually carried out by American Express Bank,” the witness said.
“A debit in the account of the defendant was there and the narration was clear that money was transferred and where it was transferred from,” he added.
The witnesss said GTB was invited, adding that the bank confirmed what it earlier stated regarding the transfer and the burnt documents.
“There were also police reports and affidavit which they (the GTB) swore to show that some documents were burnt,” he stated.