A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has dismissed an application by the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), seeking to stop his trial on the charges of diversion of N32bn arms fund.
Justice Husseini Baba ruled on Monday
that contrary to Dasuki’s allegation, the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission was not in contempt of its order granting him (Dasuki) bail
on December 18, 2015.
Dasuki was re-arrested by the operatives
of the Department of State Service on December 29, 2015, shortly after
he met the bail conditions and was released by Kuje prison.
Dasuki had, through his motion urged the
court to prohibit the EFCC from prosecuting him over an alleged
“brazen” disobedience of the orders of court granting him bail.
But Justice Baba held in his
ruling on Monday that since it had been confirmed that Dasuki was being
held by the Department of State Service, which “is a stranger” in the
case, the EFCC which is prosecuting Dasuki and his co-accused could not
be said to have violated the bail order.
He ruled that the only option open to
the former NSA was to file necessary suit in line with section 46 of the
1999 Constitution for the enforcement of his right to liberty.
After the Monday’s ruling, prosecuting
counsel, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe, asked the judge a date for trial to
commence, but Dasuki’s lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), urged the court to
give a date long enough to enable the ex-NSA’s lawyer to “tackle the
issue of the stranger”.
The judge subsequently adjourned till March 23 for trial.
Dasuki filed the motion with respect to
the 19 counts of diversion of N32bn arms funds for which he is being
prosecuted along with a former Director of Finance and Administration,
Office of the National Security Adviser, Shuaibu Salisu.
The other co-accused are, a former
General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu
Babakusa and two companies – Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance
Referral Hospital Limited.
The ex-NSA, through his lawyer, Mr.
Joseph Daudu (SAN), has also filed the same application dated January
11, 2016, before Justice Peter Affen of the same Maitama Division of FCT
High Court.
The case before Justice Affen is with
respect to the 22 counts of N13bn fraud filed against him and others
including a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office
of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, and a former Minister of State for Finance,
Bashir Yuguda.
Others charged along with them are a
former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, the ex-governor’s
son, Sagir Attahiru, and a firm, Dalhatu Investment.
Source: Punch
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