N450m PDP Election Fund: Oyedepo, Shagaya, Issa Bio listed as EFCC names recipients, amount

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, told Justice Rilwan Aikwa, of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, how Mohammed Dele Belgore, San, disbursed the sum of N126.5 million ahead of the 2015 election.

The money disbursed to the Kwara Senatorial Districts was out of the alleged N450 million paid by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

At the resumed hearing, yesterday, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, asked Belgore, under cross-examination, if he gave any written instructions to disburse the money the bank was keeping on his behalf to which he replied: “It is true I did not have any written instructions for the disbursements.”

Oyedepo further asked Belgore if he recalled that he also stated in his evidence that he called a stakeholders’ meeting upon the receipt of the money.

In his response, Belgore said, “Yes, I called a stakeholders’ meeting. It was at the meeting we discussed the disbursement of the money and agreed that each Senatorial district should nominate two people each, who would collect money for their district.”

When the prosecutor counsel asked him if he gave any written instructions to disburse the money the bank was keeping on his behalf, he said; It is true I did not have any written instructions for the disbursements.”

When asked if he had ever had cause to issue instructions to any bank where he is not a customer, Belgore said: “I have not issued any instructions to a bank, where I am not a customer.”

Consequently, Oyedepo put it to Belgore that he disbursed the sum of over N126,500,000 to various beneficiaries.

He then stated that “Mr. Zikrullah Balogun, your Personal Assistant, made several disbursements on your instructions and received in cash N80,000,000; Mr. Sheriff Shagaya received N50,000,000; Mr. Isa Bio received in cash N61,656,000.

“Mrs. Shola Adeoti received in cash N102,298,000; Mr Iyiola Oyedepo received in cash N9,574, 000 and Senator Sulaiman Ajadi received in cash the sum of N19,689,000.”

Justice Aikawa adjourned the case to June 17, 2019 for continuation of cross-examination.