By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
A prosecution witness from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Thelma Coco Bassey on Wednesday told the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, that the tenure of former Chairman of Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Yinka Farounbi, was charactersied by financial impropriety.
This position was made known by the witness before Justice Mojisola Dada while being cross-examined by Olu Daramola (SAN) in a charge brought by the EFCC against the defendants.
The witness said before Justice Dada, “I have documents to show that the tenure of Yinka Farounbi, former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch, was laced with financial impropriety.”
Bassey, who held various positions at different times as Secretary, Finanancial Secretary and Treasurer of the NBA, maintained that monies spent by the Association were not accounted for.
While testifying before the court, the witness said, “There are memos to that effect. I have documents to show that during his tenure there were financial impropriety, so I wrote letters to past chairmen who are elders of the bar, drawing their attention to dealings in the bar.
“I attached memos. Monies were also not accounted for by the second defendant during his regime. I can mention many.”
Bassey was giving her testimony in the ongoing trial of former chairman of the NBA, Adesina Ogunlana, Yinka Farounbi and Kappo Aderinola, who were arraigned by the EFCC on a 30 counts charge of money laundering and theft of over N20 million belonging to the Ikeja NBA.
They had pleaded not guilty to the charge.Bassey disclosed that the Exco of Ogunlana ought to have given account in 2017 during the Annual General Meeting, (AGM), but instead of doing so, he organised the AGM for Farounbi to give account.
She said: “He himself did not give account claiming that his first one year was full of crisis.
“That account was presented to the house way beyond the time.
“An account in AGM ought not to be in the next chairman’s administration.
“Farounbi ought to call AGM and present account before handing over.
“It took one year to present his first account. His second account was rejected.
“In fact, when he wanted to present his second account, because of so many financial impropriety, we rejeced it.
“Mrs Nkechi Ojo, Social Secretary and Olawunmi also rejected it because it was not a true reflection of the accounts.
“In fact a N450,000 that Farounbi co-signed with the third defendant which was not approved by the Exco was not in that account.
“We brought that out. He signed it without our knowledge.”
The witness further disclosed before the court that the account was presented twice before it was reluctantly accepted by the general house.
The trial judge was then adjourned the case till October 21, 22 and 23, 2019 for continuation of trial.
