Mr. Joseph Onaje, a Police investigation officer on Wednesday told Federal High Court Abuja Division that an interim Police report which indicted Mr Paul Ozigbu of forgery of his late father Nze Ike Hilary Ozigbu’s land property documents was prepared after a thorough investigation.
Onaje stated this while being cross examined by defendant counsel C.A Menkiti on the ongoing trial of Paul Ozigbu for alleged documents forgery.
The witness said that the interim report of the Police investigation team was submitted to the legal department of Federal Ministry of Justice/ Attorney General of Federation who reviewed it and found that there “is a prima facie case against the defendant”.
He said that the team was not bound to produce final report. But that, at the conclusion of the team’s investigation a case file was opened containing exhibits, documents, defendant confessional statement and it was forwarded to the Attorney General of the Federation through legal department.
“I am not in position to know whether ,all that is contained in the case file was brought to court”, he told the court , in responses to a question by the counsel.
On who signed the interim report,
Joseph Onaje said he needed to reflect his mind whether the interim report was signed by Abubakar Sadiq.
The witness said that the suggestion by the defense lawyer (Menkiti) that the case is an inheritance matter was the counsel personal opinion.
“In the course of our investigations we visited the office of Attorney General of Imo State in connection with forgery of documents of defendant late father property.
“We did not investigate inheritance but there was complaint of a case of conversion and forgery against the defendant.”
Answering another question put to him by the defense lawyer, the witness denied sending his Zenith Bank account number to defendant.” I have no financial transition with the defendant”, he said.
Onaje also told the court that the team was not aware of any litigation over the landed properties belonging to late Ozigbu .
The prosecution, according to the criminal charge marked
FHC/ABJ/CR/239/2020, alleged that Paul Ozigbu forged Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents, and Power of Attorney of his late father, Nze Hilary Ozigbu and obtained family property by falsehood.
He was also accused alongside Ngozi Ozigbo and David Ozigbo, now at large to have at different times fraudulently obtained various sums of money amounting to N10.40bn.
The defendant was accused of conniving with others at large to forge a Corporate Affairs Document by forging the signature of late Engineer Hillary Ozigbo and used same to effect the change of directors of the company, known as Ozigbo Engineering Company Limited.
The charge stated that the defendant committed an offence contrary to section 1(2)(c) of Miscellaneous Offences Cap M17, Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Trial continues today.