The fourth prosecution witness (PW4), Abubakar Umar, in the ongoing trial of former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, on Monday, February 3, 2020, told Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he was under pressure to change his statement to favour Suswan.
Suswam alongside his former Commissioner of Finance, Okolobia Okpanach, is facing prosecution on a nine count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N3.1 billion, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice Abang.
At today’s hearing, the PW4, a Bureau De Change operator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Fantfash Resources, Umar, told the court that some influential people have been calling on him, persuading him to change his statement against his former boss, Suswam.
Umar told the court how Suswam called and instructed him to meet his lawyer, J. P. Daudu (SAN), who will tell him what to do.
“He called and told me to go and see his lawyer, J P Daudu, and when I got there, Daudu asked why did I wrote my statement the way I did. I told him to ask the person who sent me to him (Suswam). Daudu now told me to leave since it is like this”, he stated.
