The trial of the former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, which resumed today, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, was adjourned to May 22, 2019, due to the absence of the lead defence counsel, J.P Daudu, SAN, who was said to be under the weather.
Suswam and Okolobia Okpanachi, former commissioner of finance in the state are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a nine-count charge bordering on diversion of N3.1 billion before Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Both are alleged to have diverted proceeds of the sale of shares, owned by Benue State Government and Benue Investment & Property Company Limited.
One of the charges against them reads:
“That you Gabriel Torwua Suswam and Omodachi Okolobia, while being the Benue State governor and commissioner of finance of Benue State respectively between 8th August and 30th October, 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court took possession of the sum of $15, 800,000 (Fifteen Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars) from Abubakra Umar of Fanffash Resources World-wide Limited, a bureau de change dealer which sum you knew to be the proceed of unlawful activity to wit:
theft of the sum of N3, 111, 008,018.51 (Three Billion, One Hundred and Eleven Million, Eight Thousand, Eighteen Naira, Fifty-one Kobo ) which form part of the sum of N9,411,708,009.51 (Nine Billion, Four Hundred and Eleven Million, Seven Hundred and Eight Thousand, Nine Naira, Fifty One Kobo), realized from the sale of shares, owned by Benue Government and Benue Investment and Property Company Limited and you thereby committed and offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as Amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”