Kenny Martins Gave Me PEF Vehicles To Offset Debt – George Uboh
Olaoluwa Folalu
Convicted fraudster and former Head of Security and Communication Department, Police Equipment Foundation, PEF, Dr. George Uboh, on Thursday told a Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, that the National Coordinator, Kenny Martins, gave him some PEF vehicles to offset the debt owed him by the Foundation.
Uboh, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a three-count charge bordering on Criminal Breach of Trust involving the sale of PEF vehicles, according Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, told the court presided over by Justice S.E. Aladetoyinbo that Martins gave him four Toyota Hilux pickup vans, one Corolla car and one Prado jeep with original documents to offset the debt that he was owed.
But, when he was asked by EFCC counsel, Muhammed Bello, if he knew that the vehicles were registered in the name of PEF, he answered in the affirmative.
At the resumed hearing Thursday during cross-examination, the accused person, who had earlier told the court that he did not have any evidence of transfer of ownership of the vehicles from PEF to him, said: “I know the vehicles belong to PEF. But it was to offset the debt owed me. The Hilux pickup vans are four and not five.”
The prosecution counsel told the court that the accused person, in his statement, confessed to have disclosed his intention to sell the Hilux pickup vans to his staff.
“You sold one of the Hilux pickup vans through Blessing Egbon. You also sold one Hilux pickup van to Muah Motor Limited and you gave two to one Patrick to sell,’’ the prosecution counsel added.
Though the accused person did not debunk the claim by the prosecution counsel, he said, “I don’t need any evidence of change of ownership from PEF.’’
Uboh, who also stated that he was never employed by PEF, said he was only given a letter of invitation to the Presidential Committee on PEF.
He said, ‘‘My Letter of Appointment came from my picking it up from Ibrahim Dumuje, the Vice Chairman of PEF. I was given a letter of invitation to the Presidential Committee on Police Equipment Funds, which I had already tendered in evidence.’’
However, when the prosecution counsel asked him if he knew that his appointment was terminated by PEF, he said, ‘‘I received a letter of termination of appointment written on behalf of PEF by Tunji Abayomi.’’
In his testimony, the Head of Operations, PEF, Godson Ewulum, said the accused person was invited by the Presidential Committee as a consultant owing to what he described as his vast experience.
Ewulum, who was subpoenaed by the court to give evidence, said: “Uboh was invited because of his knowledge in security matters and relationship with foreign embassies”.
While being cross-examined, Ewulum, CEO, Zodiac Holdings Plc, told the court that, when the accused person returned from Namibia, where he had attended a course, he came back with some security equipment.
However, during re-examination by the prosecution counsel, Ewulum said that though the accused person demonstrated the use of the equipment in some embassies, he did not witness it.
‘‘I only witnessed the demonstration at the Police headquarters,’’ he said.
Ewulum also told the court that the accused was sent on a course to Namibia by Demuju, Martins and him.
But when asked if there was any document covering the course that the accused person attended in Namibia, he said,‘‘The document should be in the office of Dumuje, as I was only in charge of operations.’’
Justice Aladetoyinbo adjourned the case to December 14, 2015 for the adoption of written addresses by both counsels.
