OYOGist.com has learned that the former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Andrew Yakubu has defended himself and claimed the $9,7772,800 the Economy Financial Crime Commission recover from his house are gifts.
The embattled former NNPC boss has been under scrutiny in the last few days after he accused of failing to declare his aseets and money laundering by the commission.
Apart from the $9,772,800 another £74,000 cash was also find in his Kaduna home to make his case more complicated.
The Kaduna State born Andrew Yakubu who is now standing trials for alleged money false declaration of assets and money laundering has now defended himself against any wrong doing.
Yakubu was faced with a six-count charge on which he was arraigned on March 16, 2017, but as the trials resumed yesterday and Yakubu said the monies are gifts from his well wishers.
However the EFCC alleged that he received the cash through without proper channels when he was still in the office , they also claimed he had an intent to avoid a lawful transaction under law, and the fund were transported at various times to Kaduna.
EFCC also claimed the funds with is equivalent to N3.8b the money found in a hidden place and it is difficult to believe they were gifts as he claimed. Meanwhile, in May 2019 Yakubu received a life line after Justice Mohammed partially striked out two out of the six counts leveled against him.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, also striked out another two of the six count charges on the 24th of April 2020, but directed him to the Supreme Court.
Both Yakubu and the EFCC have since taken their case to the Apex court of the land, the Supreme Court. Yakubu was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012. He and the management team were relieved of their appointments to strengthen the on-going reforms in NNPC by ex-President Jonathan on July 2014 and Joseph Dawha was named as his successor in 2014.
