At the resumed hearing of the criminal prosecution of Senator Shehu Sani by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged $25,000 bribe, a prosecution witness, Alhaji Muktar Lawal Dauda on Wednesday said, he was aware that the defendant was in their office to buy a car.
Having led in evidence by the prosecuting Counsel of the EFCC, Mr Abba Mohammed, the prosecution witness who earlier introduced himself as the Managing Director of ASD Motors told the Justice Inyang Ekwo-led Federal High Court that there was actually a transaction when Senator Shehu Sani visited their office on December 23, 2019 to buy a Peugeot 508 vehicle.
To further substantiate his claim that Senator Shehu Sani came to buy a car, he said, he was requested by his Chairman to give a profoma invoice to Shehu Sani and also account number of ASD Motors, which he did.
According to him, his Chairman, Alhaji Sani Dauda and the defendant came to his office and requested for the profoma invoice which he personally issued.
Asked if he knew the accused, the witness said he knew Shehu Sani because he came to buy a car from his company ASD Motors and that ASD means Alhaji Sani Dauda.
He said: “I know the defendant, Sen. Shehu Sani. On Dec. 23, 2019, around 8 pm, I was sitting in the office, when he came with my Chairman that he needed to buy a Peugeot 508.
“I personally wrote the profoma invoice, estimated invoice for him and he left my office to go to my Chairman’s office.
“When he wanted to leave, he came to my office requesting for an account number to pay for the car, and I gave him our company’s GTB account. But since then, I have not heard from him again,” the witness said.
Muktar further told the court that at ASD Motors, vehicles were sold by issuing a profoma invoice that contained information and if interested, an invoice was issued.
He, however, said that after issuing the invoice, there was no payment made into the ASD GTB account by Sani.
During cross-examination by Sani’s counsel Mr Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, Muktar told the court that his uncle, Alhaji Sani Dauda, was the CEO of ASD motors and that he was part of the company structure.
On whether his uncle told him that he gave anybody money as a bribe, Muktar said he was not aware that his uncle gave money to anyone as a bribe.
Sani was on Jan. 27, 2020, admitted to bail in the sum of N10 million, following his arraignment by EFCC on two counts.
The EFCC charged the former lawmaker to court over allegations of bribery, name-dropping and influence peddling.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Sani fraudulently obtained 25 thousand dollars from the Chairman of ASD Group of Companies, Alhaji Sani Dauda.
He was accused of collecting the money under false pretence that it would be used to bribe the former EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, so as to shield him (Dauda) from investigation and prosecution, an allegation Shehu Sani denied.
