Posted by By Adedayo Aminu on
JAILED former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of reneging on the plea bargain, that led to the six-month jail he got for laundering about N17 billion.
ABUJA - JAILED former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of reneging on the plea bargain, that led to the six-month jail he got for laundering about N17 billion.
Speaking yesterday to newsmen in Abuja through his counsel, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, Mr Balogun contended that the 'gentleman agreement" covered all charges levelled at him, saying there was no basis for EFCC to have brought up fresh charges against him.
He said the fresh 92-count charge of official corruption involving about N4.7 billion before an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Salisu Garba was unnecessary 'and clearly runs foul of the plea bargain entered into by both parties."
He queried the moral right of the EFCC for bringing up fresh charges against him before the High Court after he had agreed to plead guilty to some of the charges preferred against him and indeed surrendered his property in return for his freedom.
He said: 'The tenor of the agreement I entered into with the EFCC before I pleaded guilty to the offences against me covered all criminal cases initiated against me before the Federal High Court and the Abuja High Court."
Mr. Balogun said he should be left off the hook after serving out his six-month jail term. 'I should be a free person after six months. I don't understand why EFCC is bringing up fresh charges against me. It is uncalled for and this fresh move does not show any form of maturity in the way EFCC has been handling the case," he said.
It was gathered that the agreement between the two parties was that Balogun should withdraw all the pending applications and the civil suits he filed against EFCC, plead guilty to some of the charges and surrender all the properties mentioned in the charges to enable EFCC terminate with finality all the criminal cases against him. It was also learnt from men of EFCC that indeed Balogun ought not to stand any trial again given the 'gentleman agreement" between them but that the ridiculous sentence passed