Justice F. Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on January 22, 2024, accepted a new exhibit against Emmanuella Eteta Ita, Head of the Stakeholders Unit at the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), and Surestart School Ltd. The admission followed 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 face a 25-count charge related to criminal misappropriation, diversion, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering amounting to N2 billion.
The objection to the admissibility of Ita’s statement was raised by her counsel, Paul Erokoro, who contended that the statement was extracted under duress and without the presence of her legal representative.
Notably, Ita had reportedly volunteered her statement to EFCC investigators in the company of Eka Didara-Abasi Akpata, a lawyer from FIRS, during her visit to the EFCC office.
In a ruling on Monday, Justice Ogunbanjo stated that the defense did not sufficiently prove that the statement was not voluntary. Referring to Section 15 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, he clarified that electronic recording of a defendant’s statement was not mandatory, and the presence of the defendant’s counsel was not a prerequisite.
Consequently, the statement was admitted in evidence and marked as “Exhibit 25.”
Additionally, Ijeoma Matilda, an EFCC operative, provided further evidence in the case, concluding her testimony. She revealed information from System Specs, a Federal Government Remittance payment platform, indicating transfers amounting to N173,346,391.50 into Surestart School Ltd between 2017 and 2018.
Matilda disclosed discrepancies in the funds, stating that the defendant could not justify the sum of N158 million transferred to her account. Documents claimed to be receipts for Lomein Express Ltd were discredited by the actual company, leading to suspicions of fraudulent activities.
The witness highlighted that Ita, who claimed to have resigned as the director of Surestart School Ltd, was established as the owner of the school according to Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents.
Matilda further revealed that Ita had refunded approximately N19.5 million to the EFCC’s account at different dates.
The witness exposed financial irregularities in Ita’s salary account at FIRS, indicating significant transfers to Surestart School Ltd. The frequency of these transfers coincided with Ita’s salary payments.
Justice Ogunbanjo adjourned the case to January 23 and 24, 2024, as the trial continues.
