Admin l Thursday, June 07, 2018
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – A prosecution witness, Ziad Abu Zalaf today told a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja how serial fraudster, Fred Ajudua gave him presidential treatment in his quest to defraud him after flying into Nigeria, some 25 years ago. Ajudua, and one Joseph Ochunor , are facing a 12 count charge of fraud and conspiracy before Justice Mojisola Dada. He denied the charges preferred against him by EFCC.
Abu Zalaf, a publisher, and he second witness in the ongoing trial yesterday narrated to the court how he met Ajudua who defrauded him of the sum of $550,000 (Fifty Million Dollar) and how he got to know that Ajudua is a serial fraudster through a BBC documentary where some of the Victims he duped were showed.
Led in evidence by the lead Prosecuting Counsel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) , Seidu Atteh, he said sometimes in 1993, he met Joseph Ochonor who made a business proposal to him. He also said Joseph who is now at large arranged for a visa for him to come to Nigeria and he did arrived towards the end of March 1993.
“When I arrived Nigeria, I was picked by one Jerry in a white Limousine jeep and the driver was driving anyhow without even stopping for red light.
was checked into an hotel and they said they will come and pick me the next morning by 9am and they did. We headed to Ajudua’s office thereafter and we met him in the office poised as a legal practitioner. He told me he will be representing me as a lawyer and that I should not worry.
“He thereafter took me to a bank and I saw a file named in the contract name . A bank official explained to me that there is a fee to be paid. Ajudua also took the file,saying he will go and study it. Abu Zalaf also told the court that Ajudua instructed Joseph to give him his bank details and that when he is satisfyied after going through the document, he will be called to transfer the money.
“I noticed the piece of paper handed to me has the name and address of someone else but when I asked him he said the person in question takes care of all his international and local transactions. I thereafter back to Germany. On the first of April, he called me that everything is okay that I should send the money, so I transferred the sum of $268,000,000 on the 2nd of April. I also got a confirmation on the 7th of April through a phone call and I was also told that I already have a certificate of completion. I told him I was going to come down to Nigeria and he asked me to bring additional $375,000 but I told him I only have $300,000.
The Palestinian witness further told the court that when he got to Nigeria, he met Ajudua in his office and he informed him that the money has been reduced to $224 and I have him the money.
“Ajudua picked the money and dropped it at the Central Bank of Nigeria and he got a receipt and he later brought a certificate of completion which indicates that everything is fine. Shortly, he was also asking me for another $521,000, saying it will be the last time I will be paying for the contract, I came with Mr Michael Kramer and we gave him the money and went back to Germany but we didn’t hear anything from him again.
According to Abu Zalaf , he decided to come to Nigeria without informing Ajudua but he was not received in his office, rather he was battered.
“When I got to his office, I was not allowed to see him but I could hear his voice.. when I eventually met him, he was angry and shouting at the top of his voice, trying to intimidate me, it was then I realized something was very wrong. He called some of his boys who were dressed in military uniform and they took me out of his office to the compound harassing me, I was hit on my mouth and I lost two of my front teeth.
“I reported at the German Consulate where I also lodged a complain before I left the country. Later I saw Ajudua in a documentary made by BBC and some of the Victim he duped were showed on Tv and I also learnt that EFCC are helping the Victim he duped. I got the email and I contacted them and they said they will be glad to help me. I handed over all the documents to them and I came in 2004 to give evidence with the EFCC.
The prosecuting counsel, however asked for an adjournment because of the documents that are not available to continue the trial. Counsel to the defendant , Chief Norrison Quakers did not object to the prosecution’s plea for an adjournment. Justice Dada thereafter adjourned the matter till June 13, 2018 .
