Emmanuel Ochayi
Justice F. Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court in Abuja admitted a fresh exhibit against Emmanuella Eteta Ita, Head of Stakeholders Unit at the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), and Surestart School Ltd.
This was done on Monday, January 22, 2024 during the trial, involving 25-count charges including criminal misappropriation, diversion, breach of trust, and money laundering amounting to N2 billion, took an intense turn as the court conducted a trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of Ita’s statement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPaul Erokoro, Ita’s counsel, contested the admissibility, arguing that her statement was obtained under duress and without legal representation.
Despite Ita providing her statement to EFCC investigators in the presence of a lawyer from FIRS, the defense’s objection was overruled by Justice Ogunbanjo, who cited the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
Additionally, EFCC operative Ijeoma Matilda presented crucial evidence. System Specs, a federal government remittance payment platform, revealed transactions amounting to N173,346,391.50 funneled into Surestart School Ltd between 2017 and 2018. Matilda disclosed transfers of N145,218,000 from Ita’s account to Surestart School Ltd, prompting an investigation into unjustified sums. Documents from the Corporate Affairs Commission established Ita’s ownership of the school despite her claim of resignation.
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Matilda stated, “We discovered that around 2016, a huge sum of money was moved into the second defendant’s account, and over N277 million had entered into her salary account.” She further revealed Ita’s reimbursement of N19.5 million into EFCC’s account and the escalation of fund transfers from Ita’s salary account to the school’s account.
The defense’s attempt to challenge Ita’s resignation claim was backed by CAC documents. The trial is set to continue on January 23 and 24, 2024, with the prosecution presenting a compelling case against Ita and Surestart School Ltd in this high-profile fraud trial.
