Posted by Segun Olatunji,Kaduna on
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday filed a fresh nine-count charge against the Chief Registrar of the Federal Capital Territory, Hajia Aisha Abubakar Ibrahim, and two others.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday filed a fresh nine-count charge against the Chief Registrar of the Federal Capital Territory, Hajia Aisha Abubakar Ibrahim, and two others.
The defendants are standing trial before a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna for alleged fraud and money laundering.
The EFCC had last week arraigned before Justice Abdullahi Liman of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, the FCT Chief Registrar; the Director of Finance and Supply of the FCT High Court, Lamido Yusuf Zaria; and the Secretary of the High Court's Tenders Board, Garba Mohammed Gumi.
They were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, theft and money laundering amounting to about N37million.
Justice Liman had granted the accused persons bail and adjourned the trial to Thursday.
At the resumed sitting on Thursday, however, counsel to the EFCC, Chile Okoroma, had told the court that the commission was withdrawing two counts of the earlier four-count charge and filing a fresh nine-count charge against the accused persons.
They are now being charged for conspiracy and making cash payment of various sums of money totalling N68.66million to four contracting firms without going through a financial institution.
The new offences are contrary to Section 17 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2003 and punishable under Section 15 (2) (b) (i) of the same Act and Section 15 (1) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2003 and punishable under Section 15 (2) (b) (i) of the same Act.
The three accused persons pleaded not guilty to the fresh charges when read to them by the court.
Okoroma argued that in view of the fresh charges, the accused persons should be remanded in prison custody to prevent them from jumping bail, stating that they were aware that more charges could be brought against them by the commission.
Counsel to the accused, Joseph Daudu (SAN), leading Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Alex Iziyon (SAN) and 11 others, argued that the prosecution failed to prove that investigations into the matter had not been concluded.
Daudu argued that there was no way the accused persons could interfere with investigations.
He noted that having been granted bail earlier, it would be out of place to deny the accused persons the same bail when they had not proved to have in any way breached the conditions for the bail earlier granted them.
He urged the court to grant them bail with minimal conditions.
Daudu stated that 'the statements of the accused persons that were given to us this morning and according to his (counsel to EFCC) statement, they are not even complete because the person who has them is not around. Even the new charges were served on us this morning and we have not even read them. We are meeting for the first time over this case and we need suffuficent time to hold at least one conference with our clients.
In his ruling, Justice Liman refused the applications that relevant materials needed by the defence must first be provided before the trial could commence.
He averred however that such materials could only be provided following a formal application made for them.
"The defence must first apply for the relevanft material they need and the prosecution must be given sufficient time and notice to provide them. If they fail to do so, then you can use the relevant legal means to get them to provide them", the Judge said.
Liman also stated that the professional standing of the accused persons were enough proof that they would not jump bail, saying 'by appearing for this trial today, I am convinced that they have lived by the terms and conditions of their bail.
Reaffirming last week's bail conditions, the judge therefore granted the application of the counsel to the accused persons on self recognition, ordering them to deposit their passport photographs with the court and perfect all other adminstrative procedures for their release from custody.
Justice Liman adjourned both cases to December 16 for trial.
The Punch, Friday November 25, 2005