N1.6 billion church donation claim untrue, EFCC insists

By Joseph Onyekwere

EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday challenged the claim that the N1.6 billion linked to a former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was a donation to the Anglican Communion in Bayelsa State.
Counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, challenged the ex-presidential aide, Dr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, to show evidence that any part of the money was transferred to the church.But Dudafa replied that only his former principal, Jonathan, could explain that.
The EFCC is prosecuting Dudafa for alleged fraud of N1.6 billion, alongside Joseph Iwuejo, a banker who the EFCC said was his account officer in Heritage Bank.The respondents opened their defence on Monday after the court had dismissed their applications for no-case submission. Dudafa had, while being led in evidence by his counsel, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), contended that he was not guilty of any wrongdoing as alleged by the EFCC.
According to him, the N1.6 billion found in the account of Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited, which the EFCC linked to him, is not proceeds of fraud; but part of the money donated to Jonathan’s church in Otuoke to build St. Stephen’s Youth Development Centre.
Dudafa explained that following a fundraiser organised in Lagos, the ex-president instructed him to follow up with Prince Arthur Eze, who pledged $10 million (about N1.8 billion).
He said the Jonathan asked him to look for someone in the private sector who could help to keep the $10 million once Eze redeemed his pledge.As a result, he reportedly got an ex-military man, Somprie Omiebi, who lodged the money in the Heritage Bank account of Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited.
However, under cross-examination by the EFCC counsel yesterday, Dudafa was presented with the statement of account of Avalon and was asked to point out if there was any money transferred from the account to the church.
Responding, Dudafa said: “From Exhibit B (the account statement), no fund was transferred to the Anglican Communion of Otuoke Community. I can’t see it. It couldn’t have been because only the former president could have given directive on what to do.”Asked by Oyedepo to name the Bishop of the Anglican Communion of Otuoke Community, Dudafa said: “I don’t know; I only related with the former president.”
In the course of the cross-examination, Oyedepo asked Dudafa to point out to the court from the statement of account that a sum of N30 million was transferred on November 25, 2013 to The Jakes Fast Food and Restaurant, in which Dudafa had the highest share and often addressed himself as the chairman.
The EFCC counsel also showed Dudafa the statement of account of The Jakes Fast Food and Restaurant with the Guarantee Trust Bank. Oyedepo said: “It is correct that as of today, the funds that are in the account of The Jakes, paid by a Bureau De Change operator, Murtala Bashir, is in excess of N500 million.”

Guardian

Monica Lewinsky ends on-stage interview after being asked Clinton question

Michael Burke

© The Hill Monica Lewinsky.

Monica Lewinsky ended a live discussion and walked off stage at an event in Jerusalem on Monday night after being asked a question involving former President Clinton.
Lewinsky sat for the start of a discussion at the Jerusalem Convention Center when Channel 2 news anchor Yonit Levi brought up Clinton's comments from June when he said he didn't believe he owed Lewinsky an apology.
"Do you still expect that apology? A personal apology?" Levi asked Lewinsky on Monday.
"I'm sorry, I'm not going to be able to do this," Lewinsky responded, before putting down her microphone and walking off stage.
Lewinsky later said in a statement shared on Twitter that she walked off stage because she and Levi had agreed to "clear parameters" for the interview and that she had told Levi that the Clinton question was "off limits."
"When she asked me it on stage, with blatant disregard for our agreement, it became clear to me I had been misled," Lewinsky said. "I left because it is more important than ever for women to stand up for themselves and not allow others to control their narrative."
Channel 2 News said in a statement reported by The Jerusalem Post that it thanked Lewinsky for her appearance and "we respect her sensitivity and wish her luck."
Before the interview, Lewinsky delivered a speech where she spoke about the 1998 scandal involving Clinton while she was a White House intern.
Lewinsky said that when the story broke, she "was shunned from almost every community which I belonged to, including my religious community."
"That led to some very dark times for me," she added, according to the Post.
Clinton came under criticism from members of his own party in June after forcefully defending the fact that he never personally apologized to Lewinsky.
The former president noted in the NBC News interview that he had apologized publicly but said he hasn't apologized to her personally.
"I have never talked to her," he said. "But I did say publicly on more than one occasion that I was sorry. That's very different. The apology was public."

 NBC news in MSN news/The Hill News