Posted by By GODWIN TSA and ATI TERKULA, Abuja on
An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court was on Wednesday irked by the delay brought about by the police in the trial of the embattled Chairman of Police Equipment Fund (PEF), Chief Kenny Martins and his Deputy, Ibrahim Dumuje and two others, who were charged for alleged conspiracy and forgery of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents to defraud PEF.
An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court was on Wednesday irked by the delay brought about by the police in the trial of the embattled Chairman of Police Equipment Fund (PEF), Chief Kenny Martins and his Deputy, Ibrahim Dumuje and two others, who were charged for alleged conspiracy and forgery of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents to defraud PEF.
This followed an oral application by the prosecution counsel, Stanley Nwodo (ACP), seeking for a three weeks adjournment within which to amend the charge against the accused persons.
Besides, the prosecution counsel told the court that he has not been able to get in touch with the first prosecution witness in the case.
Responding to the request for adjournment which was opposed by defence counsel, Chief Magistrate David Ochimana noted that the prosecution was not ready to prosecute the case.
Martins and Dumuje were charged together with two lawyers, Zoni Icheka and Cosmos Okpara, who allegedly worked as professional lawyers for them.
But counsel to the Chief Martins and Dumuje, Chief Mike Ozekhome, had opposed the application for time to amend charges insisting that the business of the court yesterday was to commence full trial and nothing more.
Alternatively, Ozekhome prayed the court to grant the prosecution a short adjournment date for them to correct any necessary error.
Earlier, he had told the court that he would not object if the prosecution could orally make the amendment.
Chief Ozekhome said his clients wanted the matter to proceed immediately for them to show the whole world that they are innocent.
The Chief Magistrate Court had admitted the duo of Martins and Dumuje to bail in the sum of N1 million each and two surety each who must be civil servants on not less than Grade Level 8 and must as well have landed property in Abuja. The court stated that they should as well produce two lawyers of not less than 12 years practice as surety.
Ozekhome had in his oral bail application told the court to admit his clients to bail because they would not tamper with police investigation since they are not in any way capable of interfering with police investigation.
He also persuaded the court to release his clients on bail since there was no evidence brought against them by the prosecution showing that they would jump bail if granted.