EFCC alleges plot to scuttle N8bn fraud trial

 

The lead counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), has accused the defence counsel in the N8bn mutilated currency fraud suit involving some staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other commercial banks of making attempt to scuttle the trial.

At the resumed trial before Justice Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court in Ibadan on Tuesday, proceedings were stalled again as applications by counsel for some of the suspects were not heard because some of the processes were either filed late or yet to be filed.

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While adjourning the case on Monday till Tuesday, Justice Emmanuel had said that any application that was not in his file before he took his seat would not be entertained. He also warned both the prosecution and the defence counsel to exchange copies of processes earlier before the court proceedings would begin.

A heated argument however ensued on Tuesday over the service of copies between the EFCC lead counsel and Olalekan Ojo, who represented some of the accused persons and had also gone ahead to challenge Justice Emmanuel’s ruling on the bail application in the Appeal Court.

Ojo was calling for a stay of proceedings and challenging the judge’s competence to continue handling the case based on his pronouncement in denying the bail applications of his clients. In Ojo’s opinion, such “pronouncements are inimical and prejudicial to the rights of the suspects to fair trial or hearing”.

The counsel for Patience Okoro and Ilori Adekunle, Awa Kalu and O.F. Umar, respectively, prayed the court to separate their clients from others so that their trial could begin early. Their request was rejected by Justice Emmanuel until October 12, when a decision would be taken.

But Jacobs expressed sadness over the ‘delay tactics’ employed by the defendants through their counsel. He wondered why someone who was remanded in prison would be working against accelerated hearing.

Jacobs said, “They (defence counsel) don’t serve processes as at when due. They only come to court to secure adjournment and go home. They have their game plan and that is to ensure that applications are not heard and to make sure that the trial is scuttled. They have successfully done that even till now. Contrary to our agreement and the court order that everyone should file processes at the right time, they (defence counsel) did not, even when we did so.

“The trial is being scuttled because we were supposed to have brought our witnesses three weeks ago. We came with them but our colleagues came with series of applications to ensure that the trial did not commence. Our witnesses are ready but the defence is trying to block their appearance. The defence counsel doesn’t want the matter to go on before the two judges assigned the cases. This old habit will not encourage reform in our justice system.”

In adjourning the case till October 12, Justice Emmanuel blamed both the prosecution and the defence counsel for delaying the trial.