Posted by By ADESINA AIYEKOTI on
Twenty witnesses, including a Lagos-based lawyer and two policemen, Sergeant Bob Ingram and Constable Peter Clark, are billed to testify against former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alameiyeseigha, as trial commences Tuesday at the Federal High Court on a 40-count charge bordering on money laundering.
Twenty witnesses, including a Lagos-based lawyer and two policemen, Sergeant Bob Ingram and Constable Peter Clark, are billed to testify against former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alameiyeseigha, as trial commences Tuesday at the Federal High Court on a 40-count charge bordering on money laundering.
A highly placed source, who pleaded for anonymity, also informed Daily Sun that the prosecution (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) was as at noon Monday considering inviting the new Bayelsa governor, Goodluck Jonathan, to testify against his former boss, even though he was not on the witnesses list.
It was also learnt that the Presidency had directed that the governor should liaise with the EFCC and be prepared to testify against his ex-boss in order to give credibility to the charges since the fraud was allegedly perpetrated from the state funds.
Sources close to Bayelsa State government, however, revealed that the governor was not favourably disposed to the request. He was quoted as saying that it would be a political suicide for him to be in court and testify against his former boss.
Daily Sun also gathered that the settlement move between the EFCC and Alamieyeseigha has hit the rocks. The commission was alleged to have offered to drop most of the charges if the former governor could plead guilty alongside some of the companies associated with him.
The arrangement for the plea bargaining was said to have been organised by a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, with the representatives of the EFCC in attendance.
Alamieyeseigha was, however, said to have rejected the offer and advised his lawyers, namely Professor Alfred Kasumu (SAN) Mike Ozekhome and Mike Okoye to prepare for a full legal battle.
Daily Sun further learnt that the Federal Government has given a directive that no one should be allowed access to the detained former governor, currently in EFCC custody.
The total restriction on Alamieyeseigha, it was learnt, may be as a result of the current crisis going on in the Niger Delta.
Among the charges preferred against the former governor was that he and a company, Solomon & Peters Ltd, between October 1999 and December 2003 converted 241 million pounds (N60.7 billion) from Lagos to London to buy the property at FIT 202 Jubilee Heights, shoot Uphill London NW 23 Vice.
Other companies charged with him include Santolinon Investment Corporation, Pesol Nigeria Ltd, Salomein and Associates (Nig) Ltd, Kpedefa Nigeria Ltd, Jetty Properties Ltd and Herage Global Services Ltd.
Alamieyeseigha and Herbage Global Services Ltd were also alleged to have, between January 2005 and September, 2005, converted the sum of N1.5 billion to buy the property known as Chelsea Hotel, Abuja.
Trial judge, Justice Muhammed Shuaib, had earlier ordered that the former governor be remanded in custody.