Skip to main content

N22.8 bn Fraud: Demand for witness’ passport stalls trial of Air Force chiefs

The accused

The accused

The trial of former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu retd., and 10 others was on Friday stalled before a Federal High Court in Lagos, following the demand of a witness’ international passport.

Amosun is charged alongside two other officers of the Air Force – Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun and Air Cdre Gbadebo Olugbenga.

Also charged are Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Mcallan Oil and Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Trapezites BDC, and Fonds and Pricey Ltd.

The accused are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Mohammed Idris.

They were arraigned on June 26 and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The judge had then granted them bail in the sum of N500 million each with two sureties each in like sum.

On Friday, trial of the accused was stalled due to the demand by one of the defence counsel, Mr Norrison Quakers (SAN) that a prosecution witness, one Mojeed Olatunji should produce his international passport.

Olatunji, a compliant officer with Skye Bank Plc, had commenced his testimony before the court on Oct. 20 and the court had fixed Friday for his cross-examination.

Defence counsel, (Quakers) had questioned the identity of the witness and demanded that he tendered his passport to prove that he is the same person that signed a letter he had earlier presented in court.

When the witness could not present the passport, the lawyer asked the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris to adjourn the case to enable the witness produced the document.

In spite of objections from the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, who argued that the development was a ploy by the defence to delay the matter, the judge granted the adjournment.

According to the judge, it is in the interest of justice to grant the adjournment.

He added that although a trial must be conducted without unnecessary delays, a defendant must be given enough time to defend himself.

He, therefore, adjourned the case to Oct. 24 for continuation of trial.

The charges against the accused borders on conspiracy, stealing and money laundering.

In one of the counts, the accused were said to have indirectly converted the sum of N3.6 billion belonging to the Nigerian Air force, to their own use.

In another instance, the EFCC alleged that Amosun and the others stole over N323 million from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force between March 21, 2014 and March 12, 2015.

He said the alleged theft was for the purpose of purchasing for themselves a property situated at No.1, River Street, Wuse II Abuja.

The alleged offences were said to have contravened the provisions of Sections 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more