A Federal Capital Territory High
Court has adjourned the trial of former National Security Adviser, Sambo
Dasuki, in the alleged money-laundering charges brought against him by the
Federal Government till May 2 and 3 for definite trial.
A Judge of the Court, Justice
Husseini Baba Yusuf announced the new trial date in Abuja after being presented
with the Supreme Court judgement of March 2, 2018 which ordered accelerated
hearing into the case.
However, to ensure effective
management of the two separate charges against Dasuki and other defendants, the
court fixed April 13 for a pre-trial conference to be attended by seven Senior
Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) involved in the case so as to enable them take common
positions on documents from the prosecution and those from the defendants.
During the conference which will
be presided over by Justice Baba Yusuf, all documents that are not contentious
will be admitted from the bar while the contentious ones are to be tendered
during trial to ensure speedy hearing of the cases filed in September 2015.
Senior counsels involved in the
matter, especially Mr. Rotimi Jacobs for prosecution, Ahmed Raji, Akin Olujimi,
Olajide Ayodele, Kayode Olatoke, Hakeem Afolabi and Solomon Umoh who are
standing for different defendants in the trial all agreed with the Supreme
Court decision for accelerated hearing and pre-trial conference to sort out all
the contentious issues.
Ahmed Raji who led the legal team
of Dasuki had told the court that the decision of the Supreme Court indicated
that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is different from the
Department of State Security Service (DSS) and that both are not serving the
same government.
The Federal had slammed charges
against the former NSA Sambo Dasuk, Salisu Shuaib Director Finance ONSA, Aminu
Baba-Kusa, Acacia Holding Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital on alleged
money-laundering and criminal breach of trust.
Although the charges was filed in
2015 proper trial could not commenced due to the failure of the Federal
Government to allow the principal defendant in the matter, Sambo Dasuki to
enjoy the bail and other bails granted him by different courts since 2015.
In the bid to enforce the bail
order, Colonel Dasuki had approached the court of appeal and Supreme Court to
compel the Federal Government to allow him go on bail as ordered by the trial
court, just like other defendants, to enable access his lawyers and prepare for
his defence as required by law.
However, both the court of appeal
and the Supreme court had in their separate judgements disagreed with Dasuki
that the Federal Government did not obey the bail order.
The two court held that since his
bail at the Kuje Prison was endorsed by the Controller of Prison and was
released before he was re-arrested by another of the federal government, the
bail had been obeyed at that level.
With the new Supreme Court
decision, especially on accelerated hearing, full scale trial is now expected
to commence on May 2, 2018.
Justice Baba-Yusuf in his brief
comment had appealed to the senior lawyers involved in the matter to cooperate
with one another, especially with the prosecution to allow the trial to flow so
that Justice of the case can be met within a reasonable time.
The judge said that as minister
in the temple of justice, the senior lawyers should do away with sentiments and
do their jobs as legal practitioners of reputable standing in the interest of
justice for both parties.
At the proceeding, apart from
Sambo Dasuki, former Governor of Sokoto, Attahiru Bafarawa and former Finance
Minister of State, Bashir Yuguda among others were all present in court to
answer the charges against them.
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