The Sixth Prosecution Witness, PW6, Liyel Imoke, in the ongoing trial of the former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, again told Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja, that the award of contract to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited was invalid.
Agunloye is facing prosecution on an amended seven-count charge, bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of Mambilla Power Project contract to the tune of $6billion (Six Billion United States Dollars) to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited while in office as Minister of Power and Steel between 2002 and 2003.
At Monday’s proceedings, Imoke, while concluding his cross-examination by defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, disclosed that the Federal Executive Council did not approve the award of contract to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited, adding that the contract award was invalid.
When asked if he participated in any FEC meeting where the conclusion of the meeting on May 21, 2003 was adopted, he responded, saying that “My Lord, as I mentioned at the beginning of today’s proceedings, that I was sworn in on 15th July, 2003, not August as earlier mentioned. When I checked my records, I saw that I participated in the FEC meeting of July, 2003, where the minutes of the 16th FEC meeting of May 21, 2003 were adopted, and that the proceedings of the 17th FEC meeting are not part of this exhibit file here,”, he said.
While speaking on the difference between extracts of the meeting and the full conclusions of the meeting, he explained that extracts are usually sent to whichever ministry a particular memo referred to; however, the full Council conclusions are different from extracts, which are maintained, kept or distributed to offices that are under the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The witness was also shown Exhibit EFCC 3K and Exhibit EFCC 3D, which are the letters from the Ministry of Power forwarding the conclusion of the FEC meeting and the extract of the FEC meeting, to which he responded that they are the same in substance and form.
He was further asked to confirm to the court if during his tenure as Minister, he proposed that contracts should be awarded on the basis of a build, operate and transfer basis or outright purchase; he responded that he cannot recall.
At the end of the cross-examination, prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, SAN, sought an adjournment to enable him to deal with new issues that arose during the cross-examination.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter to November 19, 2026 for re-examination of witnesses.
