A Prosecution Witness, Hamza Adamu Buwai on Wednesday told an FCT High Court that Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Babachir David Lawal was not involved in the award of an alleged N544m grass-cutting contract awarded by the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE).
Buwai said the ex-SGF was not a member of the Presidential Initiative and was also not a member of its Ministerial Tenders Board responsible for award of contracts for the troubled North East Region.
The witness, who claimed to be Deputy Director in charge of Finance and Account of the Presidential Initiative however admitted that a consultancy job was awarded to a company Rholavision Engineering in which junior brother to Babachir Lawal has interest.
Under cross examination by Chief Akin Olujimi SAN, counsel to the ex-SGF, the EFCC witness told Justice Charles Agbassa that a Ministerial Tenders Board awarded the consultancy job to Rholavision Engineering Limited after all conditions relating to finance and technical have been found satisfactory.
The witness admitted that the actual contract for the clearing of invasive plant species along river channels in North East was awarded to Josmon Technologies Limited while the consultancy for the supervision of the contract execution went to Rholavision firm of Babachir Lawal younger brother.
Buwai, who was the Head, Finance and Account of the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE), testified before Justice Charles Agbaza, sitting at Jabi, Abuja, in the alleged contract fraud charge brought against Babachir Lawal and five others by the EFCC
