Armsgate: EFCC Closes Case against AVM Omenyi

Armsgate: EFCC Closes Case against AVM Omenyi

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on April 17, 2018 closed its case against Air Vice Marshall Tony Omenyi (retd), who is standing trial for allegedly diverting over N136 million meant for the purchase of arms by the military.

Omenyi is being prosecuted along with Huzee Nigeria Limited, on an amended three-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

The prosecuting counsel, M.S. Abubakar had on January 22, 2018 presented its fifth witness, Goji Mohammed, an EFCC operative, who told the court that in the course of investigating the arms deal scandal, suspicious transactions were linked to Omenyi and Huzee Nigeria Limited.

He said: “We discovered that Huzee Nigeria Limited was incorporated by the first defendant and maintained a corporate account with FCMB in which he was a co-signatory.
“We also discovered payment made to Sky experts by NAF and in most cases you will see a corresponding payment to Huzee Nigeria Limited.”

He further revealed that analyses of documents from the Nigeria Air Force, NAF and the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, in response to requests made to them in the course of investigations, indicated that “in 2013 NAF awarded contracts to Cyrus Technology with contract sum of N1.2 billion”.

The proceedings continued today, with the cross-examination of Mohammed by the defence counsel, Goddy Uche, SAN.

While being cross-examined, Mohammed noted that Omenyi was not a member of the procurement planning committee of NAF, “but he attended the meeting and the recommendation for the award of the contract was based on his presentation”.

Uche, then asked the witness, whether in the course of investigations, the EFCC took statements of one Adeogwu Onyeka, a staff of FCMB and the account officer of Sky Experts Nigeria Limited.

However, Abubakar raised an objection, arguing that: “this procedure is strange to me; I have not seen the document and the witness is not the maker of the statement”.

Subsequently, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba adjourned further hearing to June 20 and 21, 2018 when the defendant is expected to open its defence.