A prosecution witness, Aliyu Mohammed, in the trial of the founder of Daar Communications and Holdings Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, may have put a huge gap in the case against the broadcast entrepreneur when he told a Federal High Court in Abuja that all payments made to the Dokpesi through his companies followed due process.

Mohammed, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and manager in CBN’s  payment section, said disbursements made to Daar Communications met due process standards of the CBN.

According to Mohammed  during examination by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, the disbursements of funds follow a given procedure where verifications for payment-instruments are made before they are finally authorised. He told the court that this process was followed.

“The procedure for payment is such that the paying organisation will bring the payment instrument through an officer authorised to do so. The officer will confirm the mandate before us by writing his name, signature, status, phone number and thumb-print as well as the date. After we have received it, it will be passed for verification.

“The verification will include cheque of the authorised signatories of that account, (operators of the account). The mandate must also be written in a letter headed-paper. The date and account number to be debited will also be included.

“After the verification exercise we will check whether they have complied with all due processes for the payment. We will then pass it for payment and debit the account stated in the mandate while crediting the beneficiary accordingly”. All this process was observed and followed he told the court.

Mr. Mohammed added that his office had authorised the disbursements of over N2 billion in four trenches to Daar Communications from payment-instruments forwarded to them, (CBN) by the office of the NSA, early last year.

He said the payment mandates received from the office of the NSA were signed by Mr. Dasuki and the Director of Finance at the NSA, S. A. Salisu, adding that the reason stated for such payments was for the purposes of media campaign by Daar Communications.

During cross-examination by counsel to Mr. Dokpesi, Wole Olanipekun, Mr. Mohammed said similar disbursements are currently ongoing at the CBN, from payments instruments passed on to his office in the same manner, as was done under Mr. Dasuki.

The following conversation ensued between the defence counsel and the prosecution witness:

Mr. Olanipekun: Did you follow the due process before the account was opened for the said payments?

Mr. Mohammed: Yes we did.

Mr. Olanipekun: Are Dasuki and Salisu still the signatories now?

Mr. Mohammed: No it is the present NSA and his director of finance.

Mr. Olanipekun: While the signatories to the account have changed. The procedure for payment are still the same. Are you still following the same procedure?

Mr. Mohammed: Yes we are following the same procedure.

Mr. Olanipekun: Apart from the authorised signatories. You also have another column to show that the payments were duly confirmed.

Mr. Mohammed: There is provision for confirmation before me.

The examination stunned some of the people in court especially the EFCC team. Chief Dokpesi was personally present in court.