The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday told an FCT High Court that the agency will seek a court order for a separate trial for former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) different from his seven other defendants.
Dasuki is being tried in two separate cases alongside other defendants before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf by EFCC since 2015 on alleged misappropriation of the fund made for the purchase of arms.
At the resumed sitting in case FCT/HC/CR/43/2015, EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, expressed frustration over the continued absence of Dasuki, who is the first defendant in the case.
He informed the court that the prosecution had filed a motion dated November 4, seeking the continuation of trial in Dasuki’s absence, adding that the prosecution was served with a counter-affidavit this morning.
Jacobs, however, said that the best thing to do in the present circumstance was the unbundling of the case so that Dasuki would be separated from other defendants.
He said, “We can’t be in the same place for four years without moving.”
He, therefore, told the court that the charge against the defendants might be amended to remove Dasuki’s name to enable other defendants to face their trial without further delays.
He said that he would file separates charge against other defendants in both cases in which Dasuki is involved before the court and sought an adjournment to do so.
Responding to this, counsel for Baba-Kusa, Mr Solomon Umoh, SAN, submitted that what the Jacobs was suggesting did not have any place in the book.
Umoh, said Dasuki is central to the charge against other defendants, adding that, “If he is separated, how can we get a fair hearing?”
Justice Baba-Yusuf, however, gave an open adjournment and asked the prosecution to file the amendment and serve same on the defendants for them to come to court and take fresh pleas.
(NAN)
