Fraud trial: Witness says court registrar failed polygraph test

Paul Dada |

A polygraph expert Mohammed Umar who is a prosecution witness, , in the ongoing trial of a High Court Registrar, Oluronke Rosolu, who allegedly defrauded Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi,  has told a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, that the defendant did not pass a polygraph test conducted on him.

Umar, a Quality Control operative attached to the Polygraph Unit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abuja, said this while testifying before the presiding judge, Justice Lateef Lawal- Akapo.

Rosulu is undergoing trial for allegedly aiding a one-time Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, to defraud Bamaiyi of $330,000.

The defendant, a former registrar to Justice Joseph Oyewole, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences and obtaining money by false pretences.

According to the EFCC, the fraud took place while Bamaiyi and Ajudua were  being remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prison for separate criminal charges between November 2004 and June 2005.

The anti-graft agency claimed that Ajudua obtained the money from Bamaiyi by claiming that it represented the professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to handle his case.

He was also said to have claimed that the money would help facilitate Bamaiyi’s release from prison.

While being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Seidu Atteh,  the witness claimed that he  studied the video recording of the polygraph examination and other documents and was able to conclude that the defendant was lying during the polygraph examination.

Umar, holds a  Diploma in Psycho-physiological Detection of Deception. He is also a member of the American Polygraph Association.

During the cross-examination , the defence counsel, Bamidele Ogundele, the witness stated that his team did not carry out a polygraph test on Lt. Gen Ishaya Bamaiyi and a prison official ACP Abdullahi Garba to determine if they were lying against the defendant.