Former Kaduna Sen. Shehu Sani hurriedly returned the $25,000 he collected in bribe from a car dealer when he learnt the case was already before the EFCC.
A prosecution witness Bako Aliyu stated his Monday before a federal high court in Abuja in the on-going trial of the former APC senator.
Aliyu was testifying as EFCC’s 10th prosecution witness in Mr Sani’s trial for fraud.
The EFCC had on January 27, 2020 arraigned the former senator on fraud charges involving alleged extortion of $25,000 from Sani Dauda, the chairperson of A.S.D Motors.
Sani fraudulently claimed to Dauda that the money was to be given to “the Chief Justice of Nigeria” and then Acting Chair of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, as bribe for an alleged case involving Dauda, Aliyu testified before the trial judge Inyang Ekwo.
Aliyu said Mr Sani one-upped Duada, who was at the time having some issues with the Nigeria Police.
The witness said the CJN and Magu denied receiving bribe from Mr Sani, adding that the CJN published his denial in two national dailies.
“Sani hurriedly returned the money to the complainant, begging him to change the statement he had volunteered to the EFCC,” Aliyu, an EFCC investigator, added.
Sani had claimed that the $25,000 he gave ASD was part payment for the purchase of a brand new Peugeot 508 saloon car.
But the witnessed countered that.
“My lord our investigation shows ASD does not transact any business in Dollars. Moreover, the managing director of ASD motors is the one responsible for sales of vehicles, not the Chairman, “he said.
Mr Ekwo thereafter adjourned the matter to March 16 for continuation of trial and cross examination of the witness.
The court will then listen to the translated version of the audio evidence the EFCC claimed it got against Sani.