Press Release
Even without ruling on an oral motion
for bail, Justice E. S Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Maitama Abuja today
released the trio of Imaobong Akon Esu-Nte, an accountant with the Nigeria
Prisons Service; Olukolade Olabamiji, a businessman and Mohammed Abdulkadir to
their counsel, Titus Olasupo Ashaolu, SAN despite protest from the prosecution
counsel, Aso Larry Peters.
Before they were arraigned today, some
of the accused persons had engaged the prosecution in a hide and seek game,
deliberately making themselves unavailable for service. Surprisingly, when the
matter was called, the accused persons were present.
Conscious of the fact that failure to
serve the accused with the charge before trial could be a booby trap that
might be exploited as possible grounds of appeal in the event of conviction,
EFCC counsel, Peters, drew the court’s attention to the efforts of the
Commission to ensure that the accused persons were duly served. Surprisingly,
the trial judge told the prosecution counsel that the accused persons claimed
they have been served. Peters however insisted that the court put this on
record.
The accused persons alongside their
companies: Royal Mall Nigeria Limited, Transferase Ventures and I.D Integrated
Petroleum were docked on an 11-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, abuse of
office and money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Akon Esu-Nte and her accomplices,
allegedly laundered funds from the Nigeria Prisons Service into the accounts of
companies where she has interests, including Abasiaga Global Resources Limited.
Several of the transactions were
carried out in connivance with her account officer, Mohammed Abdulkadir who
procured drivers licence, AMAC receipt, passport photograph of unknown people
which was used on the mandate cards of the different accounts.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty
to the charge when it was read to them.
One of the count reads:
"That you Akon Esu-Nte (alias
Imabong Akon Esu Nte) being the Head Capital Account at Nigeria Prisons Service
Headquarters, Abuja between January and March 2014, in Abuja within the
Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly transferred the sum of
N100,000,000.00 (One hundred million naira only) from Nigeria Prisons Service
accounts into Royal Mall Nigeria Limited's United Bank for Africa account
number: 1017758108; which sum represent proceeds of unlawful act and thereby
committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act, 2011 (As amended by the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Amendment Act,2012) and punishable under section 15(3)
of the same Act".
In view of their pleas, counsel to
EFCC. Aso Larry Peters asked the court to fix a date to commence trial.
However, defence counsel, Titus Olasupo
Ashaolu, SAN, who had earlier filed a motion for bail of the accused withdrew
it. Instead, he tabled an oral motion, praying the court to admit the accused
to bail. He argued that, an accused who is brought to court and yet to be tried
and convicted is entitled to bail.
Responding, Peters told the court that,
the defence had earlier served him a formal application for bail which they now
withdrew midway. By this action, he noted that, “it seems the prosecution has
been ambushed and will be asking for short adjournment to reply in the interest
of fair trial and fair hearing”.
Justice Chukwu has adjourned hearing on
the bail application to Thursday, April 16, 2015 while ordering the defence
counsel to take custody of the accused.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
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