NAN-H-161
Mawu
By Edith Nwapi
Abuja, Feb. 22, 2017 (NAN) Retired Air Marshal Alkali Mawu, on Wednesday told an Abuja High Court sitting in Maitama that the Nigerian Air Force never had Procurement and Planning Committee.
Mawu, former Air Officer, Training Command, Kaduna was on June 21 arraigned before Justice Salisu Garba on a three-count charge of receiving gratification.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had alleged that Mawu collected a cash gift in the sum of N5.9million for the purchase of a Range Rover Evoque as a member of Procurement and Planning Committee of Defence.
Also included are two vehicles (Ford Expedition SUV and Jaguar XF Saloon) valued at N15 million and N12 million respectively from Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux Nigeria LTD., a contractor with the Nigerian Air Force.
At the last sitting, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Sylvester Tahir closed his case after calling four witnesses to testify.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN ), Mawu’s counsel opened his case with Mawu as the first defence witness.
While he was led in examination in chief by Miss Chinelo Ogbozor, Mawu told the court that the Nigerian Air Force never had any committee known as Procurement and Planning Committee.
He went further to inform the court that he was never a member in such committee and that the Ministry of Defence had a Ministerial Committee.
Mawu said that the membership was restricted to defence minister, defence permanent secretary, chief of defence staff, chief of army staff, chief of air staff and directors in the ministry, who were called from time to time.
“ I am not a member of this committee and I am not guilty also of the charges against me,“ he affirmed.
He narrated how he knew Mr Hamma Abubakar, the Managing Director of Societe D’ Equipments Internationaux Nigeria Ltd.
Mawu said that the company was a contractor to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and not the Nigerian Air Force.
The defendant told the court that he was called by the then Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosun that Hamma Abubakar was instructed to attend to their urgent needs in the war against Boko Haram.
He said that Abubakar’s company was to supply two overhaul upgraded combat helicopter that would be capable of fighting day and night also, C8 Rocket of 7.62mm calibre armour.
He went further to inform the court that Abubakar told him that he did not have the funds, adding that the office of NSA had not paid him, I told him that my job was to facilitate the request.
Mawu said that this required training of pilots and engineers abroad and bringing in experts from Ukraine too.
He said that both of them reached an agreement and wrote letters to that effect and he (Mawu) then organised for visas and other logistics.
He told the court that “all the pilots and engineers were trained in Ukraine and the experts were from Ukraine too.“
The judge, Justice Salisu Garba later adjourned the case till March 30 on the instance of the prosecution. (NAN)
NEO/AK/GY
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Edited by Akin Makanjuola/Grace Yussuf