Posted by By Ise-Oluwa Ige on
FORMER Inspector-General of Police, Mr Tafa Balogun, who is facing a total 149-count charge of money laundering, official corruption and failure to fill assets declaration forms before two high courts in Abuja is mounting pressure on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for out of court settlement.
ABUJA - FORMER Inspector-General of Police, Mr Tafa Balogun, who is facing a total 149-count charge of money laundering, official corruption and failure to fill assets declaration forms before two high courts in Abuja is mounting pressure on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for out of court settlement.
The embattled police boss, Vanguard authoritatively gathered at the weekend, is willing to trade off all the alleged ill-gotten monies and assets already traced to him for his freedom. An impeccable source at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja also told Vanguard, on condition of anonymity, that Balogun's fresh detention in EFCC's custody was a ploy to pursue the on-going peace pact 'Being in our custody would avail him (Balogun) the opportunity of negotiating with us on his freedom," the source said.
The source told Vanguard that for now, no details had been worked out, stressing: 'Although Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu is not averse to Tafa's plan for forfeiture of his assets, he believes such forfeiture should be the beginning of negotiation. Ribadu believes and is insisting that it would be neater and better if Balogun pleads guilty to all the charges preferred against him, summarily tried and sentenced to a minimal punitive jail term like Amaka Anajemba.
'You know, if an accused person pleads guilty to the charge against him without taking the prosecution through the rigour of trial, what happens is that such person is sentenced to a minimal jail term. It is the practice all over the world. It is not a special arrangement of EFCC. It is an international practice.
'If he is willing to surrender all his ill-gotten wealth and assets already traced to him, if he is willing to enter a plea of guilt to the charges against him, and above all, if he is willing to serve a minimal jail term, then there will be a deal.
'But I can tell you categorically that the accused person (Balogun) is mounting pressure on us (EFCC) for a pact. He is willing to trade off anything for his freedom," the source said.
Mr Balogun was arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in April over multiple allegations of stealing between January 2000 and February 2005, huge sums of money belonging to the Nigeria Police Force, totalling N12,861,570,098.00.
Also arraigned with him were seven companies allegedly used by him to invest the looted money. But Balogun not only disowned the seven companies in court, he also denied all the allegations against him by entering a plea of no guilt.
Although the seven companies were not represented in court, they were all charged in absentia. They include Yeboa Investment Limited, Caledonian Telecommunications Limited, Renovations Construction Limited, Aworo Investment Limited, Olatrade Limited, Yeboa Nigeria Limited and Ceejay Properties Nigeria Limited.
But Balogun would not allow trial go on in the case after his arraignment as he mounted different legal hurdles. The latest of such hurdles was an application by him challenging the constitutionality of the Act which established EFCC even as he is asking the court to quash all the charges preferred against him on the grounds that EFCC is illegal.
While his battle at the Federal High Court was on, EFCC filed a separate criminal information before an Abuja High Court, alleging official corruption against Balogun.
Trial has not started in the case too while the presiding judge has already admitted him to bail. But last Friday, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja revoked a six-month-old bail earlier granted the former Inspector-General of Police. The withdrawal of the bail followed the amendment of a 50-count charge preferred against him last April by EFCC.
He is to be remanded in police custody till November 7, this year when he would be properly arraigned on the amended 56-count charge preferred against him by EFCC.