Justice F. Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, made a significant ruling on Monday, January 22, 2024, admitting a new exhibit against Emmanuella Eteta Ita, Head of Stakeholders Unit at the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and Surestart School Ltd. The admission came during a trial within a trial aimed at determining the admissibility of Ita’s statement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ita and Surestart School Ltd are facing a trial on 25-count charges related to criminal misappropriation, diversion, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering amounting to N2 billion.
Ita’s counsel, Paul Erokoro, contested the admissibility of her client’s statement, alleging it was obtained under duress and without her counsel’s presence. Despite the defendant voluntarily providing her statement to EFCC’s investigators in the company of a lawyer from FIRS, the objection was raised.
Justice Ogunbanjo stated in his ruling on Monday that the defense did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Ita didn’t give his statement involuntarily and referred to Section 15 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. He also stated that the electronic recording of a defendant’s statement and the presence of her counsel were not mandatory. The statement was admitted as evidence and marked “Exhibit 25.”
EFCC operative Ijeoma Matilda, testifying for the prosecution, concluded her testimony, highlighting information from System Specs, a government Remittance payment platform. It revealed funds funneled into Surestart School Ltd between 2017 and 2018, totaling N173,346,391.50.
Matilda disclosed observations of transfers from Ita’s account to Surestart School Ltd, raising questions about N158 million that lacked proper justification. The witness detailed efforts to verify receipts and letters provided by Ita, discovering discrepancies and denials from involved companies.
Ita’s claim of resignation as Surestart School Ltd director was countered by CAC documents establishing her ownership. The witness noted Ita’s refund of about N19.5 million into the EFCC’s account.
Further revelations from Ita’s FIRS salary account uncovered substantial sums moved into Surestart School Ltd’s account, raising concerns about the frequency and transparency of these transactions.
As the legal proceedings continue to unfold, the case is set to resume for trial on January 23, 2024.
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