SARAKI; TRIBUNAL TO SIT DAILY

The trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki has been adjourned till 12 noon Tuesday, 19 April at the request of the defence.

The defence began cross examination of the first prosecution witness, Micheal Wetkas, after the prosecution concluded its examination in chief on Monday afternoon.

Earlier today, Wetkas, the first prosecution witness on request of the prosecution identified the documents used by Saraki to pay for No 15 McDonald Ikoyi. He told the court that the payment for the property purchased in the name of Tiny Tee by Saraki was partly made from Access Bank and GTB.

According to him, the GTB payment was drawn from the account of Carlie Property and Investment Limited.

Wetkas also on the request of the prosecutor identified different drafts used to pay for no 17 Macdonald, Ikoyi another property linked to the Senate President.

One of the drafts was for N256, 300.00 million. He also identified another draft for sum of N12.8 million used to partly pay for 17 Macdonald by the Senate President.

He also identified a draft of N24.90 million with N20 million drawn from Zenith Bank account of Carlie Property and Investment Ltd and N4.90m from Carlie Property account in GTB as part payment for the property. “The total of the two were part payment for No 17 McDonald,” said Wetkas.

Also, identified by Wetkas is another draft of N180 m dated 5 April, 2007 part payment for 17 Mcdonald.

Another draft of N36, 135 million dated 10 January, 2007 drawn from account Carlies Property account in GTB which also forms part payment for No 17 McDonald and lastly, another draft for N12m dated 10 January, 2007 also drawn from account of Carlie Property in GTB which also forms part payment for No 17 McDonald, Ikoyi.

“I hereby identified the statement of account of Carlie Property in GTB and Zenith Bank,” Wetkas said as he tendered various cheques and drafts through the defence counsel for acceptance as evidence. The Court has accepted the documents as evidence.

The cheques for the drafts were issued at different dates in 2006 and 2007.