2.5BIL TRIAL: PROSECUTION WITNESS BLOWS THE LID ON DIGITAL SWITCHOVER EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED BY PINNACLE COMMUNICATIONS TO NBC

Prosecution Witness 5, Engr. Friday Ukwela in the ongoing trial the Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo and three others before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, said that the Digital Switch Over facility put in place by Pinnacle Communications Ltd (PCL), “is world class”.

Ukwela, who is a Director of Engineering and Technical, NBC, while testifying upon cross examination by counsel to Pinnacle Communications Ltd (4th defendant) Ama Etuwewe, also stated that the DSO project “is a very expensive venture” and that the Minister of Information, Prof Lai Mohammed, who approved the payment of N2.5billion to PCL, “is familiar with DSO project but does not know substantially everything about DSO”. “I know that the DSO is a very expensive project. “Yes, I was part of the team that visited and inspected the DSO facility put in place by Pinnacle Communications Ltd. “It is a world class facility and has been in operation till date” the witness told the court, while answering questions from the 4th defendant’s lawyer. Furthermore, the witness stated that going by the government White Paper on the DSO project, “it was agreed that signal distributors should be paid for services rendered.