TheNewsGuru

Tag: Trial

  • Uncertainty trails Nnamdi Kanu’s whereabouts as trial resumes today

    The whereabouts of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu is currently unknown even as his trial resumes in court on Tuesday (today).

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Nnamdi Kanu has not been seen in public functions since September 24 when some security agents allegedly entered his Afaraukwu, Umuahia country home in Abia State.

    He is facing treason charges along with some members of his group.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Kanu was granted bail on health grounds in April while Senator Enyinaya Abaribe stood as one of his sureties.

    Reacting to the resumed hearing on Tuesday and the possibility of Kanu’s absence at the court, his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told newsmen: “Only the army can tell us where he is. Either they arrested him or they killed him.

    “If he is alive, they should bring him to the court on Tuesday (today).”

    However, spokesman of the Ministry of Justice, Salihu Othman Isah said whether the trial would go ahead would depend on Kanu’s appearance and the judge.

    “I can’t tell you specifically what will happen,” he added.

    Kanu was first arrested in October 2015 and held in custody until April.

    While Kanu’s brother Emmanuel, claims he was taken away by troops, the military has said its men did not arrest Kanu.

    “They were so numerous. They started to shoot from 200 metres (650 feet) away. People were running for their lives. We had no guns with us,” he said after the mayhem in Kanu’s home last month.

    However, in another twist, a former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu recently said in an interview that Kanu has eloped to the United Kingdom through Malaysia.

    His statement attracted criticism from IPOB and its sympathizers.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the federal government declared IPOB a “terrorist organisation” after clashes between the security forces and IPOB supporters.

    Members of the group were accused of attacking military checkpoints in Umuahia.

    The group has however distanced itself from the attacks, insisting it was a law abiding organisation.

    Details later…

     

  • N46bn fraud: Court dismisses Tompolo’s suit to stop trial

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday dismissed the suit filed Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tomopolo, challenging a criminal charge preferred against him by the Federal Government.

    Tompolo, through his lawyer, Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, had approached the court seeking nullification of Section 221 and 306 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, under which he was charged.

    He argued that the two sections violate his constitutional right to fair hearing.

    Joined as defendants in the suit are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC; the Inspector-General of Police; the Chief of Army Staff; the Chief of Naval Staff; and the Chief of Air Staff.

    In the application, Tompolo also argued that both Sections 221 and 306 of the ACJA are unconstitutional since they seek to prevent the court from exercising its jurisdiction to entertain any objection to a criminal charge.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Section 221 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, provides:
    “objections shall not be taken or entertained during proceedings or trial on the ground of an imperfect or erroneous charge.”

    Section 306 states that “an application for stay of proceedings in respect of a criminal matter before a court shall not be entertained”.

    Responding to Tompolo’s application, the federal government, through its lawyer, Idris Mohammed, urged the court to dismiss the suit with a substantive cost, saying it is an abuse of court process.

    Dismissing the suit, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun held that the Supreme Court had affirmed that whether a charge is defective or not, an accused is bound to first take his plea.

    He added that an interlocutory application could stop a criminal trial.

    The judge, however, did not award any cost against the plaintiff.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalled that Justice Ibrahim Buba of the same court had on January14, 2016, issued a warrant for the arrest of Tompolo, after he failed to show up for his trial.

    The EFCC had charged Tompolo alongside nine others for an alleged N45.9 billion fraud.

    NAN

     

  • Dasuki: Absence of judge stalls commencement of trial

    Dasuki: Absence of judge stalls commencement of trial

    The absence of Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf on Thursday stalled the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Col. Sambo Dasuki in an FCT High Court Maitama.

    Dasuki, NSA to former President Goodluck Jonathan, was arraigned on a 22- count charge, bordering on diversion, conspiracy, bribery, abuse of office and criminal breach of trust involving N19.4 billion.

    Others in the trial are Amb. BashirYuguda, Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser, Dalhatu Investment Ltd, Sagir Attahiru and Attahiru Bafaarawa, former governor of Sokoto State.

    The judge was unavoidably absent from hearing the case adjourned until Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court did not sit but the defendants and their counsel were present in court except Dasuki.

    The trial was adjourned until Sept. 27 with the consent of all the counsel in the matter.

    NAN also reports that Dasuki was also arraigned on another 19-count charge bordering on diversion of funds pending in the same court.

    He is being tried alongside Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser, and Aminu Baba-Kusa ,a former NNPC Executive Director.

    Also being tried were two firms, Acacia Holding Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) preferred the charges against the defendants since 2015.

     

     

    NAN

  • Absence of Metuh’s counsel stalls trial as Justice Abang adjourns till Friday

    Absence of Metuh’s counsel stalls trial as Justice Abang adjourns till Friday

    The trial of Olisa Metuh, former National Publicity Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) was stalled in the Federal High Court, Abuja, due to absence of his counsel, Mr Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN).

    When the matter was called on Wednesday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, told the court that the matter was adjourned until Wednesday for continuation of trial.

    He said that he received a letter from Ikpeazu asking for adjournment because he had to appear in another matter in a court in Port Harcourt.

    “I am not opposed to adjournment because as counsel, we do find ourselves in this kind of situation and for the integrity of the counsel involved, we shall not oppose the application,” he said.

    In his ruling on the application for adjournment, the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, noted that the matter had reached advanced stage and he expected the counsel to be eager to wrap the matter up.

    “This matter has reached advanced stage, the prosecution has closed its case and the defence has called six witnesses and is on the seventh.

    “The defence counsel should have exercised the choice to appear in this matter today and asked someone else to attend to the matter in Port Harcourt,” Abang said.

    He said that though Ikpeazu also wrote a letter to him, it was wrong for the counsel to address the letter to him, (judge) directly.

    “In regards to today’s adjournment, the counsel addressed the letter to me directly and this is not proper because I am not a party in the matter.

    “A letter of adjournment is always addressed to the registrar of the court who will then call the attention of the judge to it.

    “I consider this letter addressed to me personally as unethical conduct but since the prosecution is not opposed to the application, I am inclined to accept it,” he said.

    Abang adjourned the matter until June 23 for continuation of trial.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) is prosecuting Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited, on a seven-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering.

    The alleged offence involved 2 million dollars and N400 million which the defendants allegedly received from the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014.

     

     

    NAN

  • Court grants Bala, former minister’s son permission to travel for Hajj

    Court grants Bala, former minister’s son permission to travel for Hajj

    Under trial former FCT Minister’s son, Shamsudeen Bala, was on Wednesday granted permission to travel for lesser hajj by a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja.

    At the resumed hearing, the defence counsel, Kanayo Okafor, prayed the court to release the international passport of the defendant to enable him travel for the lesser hajj.

    The prosecution counsel, Mr Ben Ikani, who opposed the application, stated that the defence was trying to delay the trial.

    After listening to both counsels the judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, granted the defendant permission to travel for the hajj.

    Dimgba ruled that a member of the National Assembly shall write an undertaking to guarantee that the defendant would be back to the country.

    He ordered that the EFCC would verify the identity of the NASS member before releasing defendant’s international passport.

    The judge further ordered that the defendant must deposit his international passport to the registry of the court within 24 hours of his return to the country.

    He adjourned the matter until June 26 for continuation of trial.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that Shamsudeen was re-arraigned on May 30, on an amended 15-count charge bordering on money laundering.

    He was re-arraigned alongside four companies – Bird Trust Agro Allied Limited, Intertrans Global Logistic Limited, Diakin Telecommunications Limited and Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Limited.

     

  • Boko Haram : I have no case to answer – Ndume

    Boko Haram : I have no case to answer – Ndume

    The suspended majority leader in the senate, Ali Ndume standing trial on terrorism on alleged terrorism funding has told the federal high court in Abuja that he has no case to answer in the 4 count charges brought against him by the federal government.

    Ndume told Justice Kolawole that the government has not in anyway established a prima facie case against him or link him with any crime.

    In a no case submission argued by his counsel Rickey Tarfa SAN, Ndume insisted that the charges brought against him by the government since November 30, 2011 has not been proved beyond reasonable doubt as required by law at the end of the prosecution case.

    The senator admitted that he had contact with the dreaded boko haram sect and that the contact came into being, when he was appointed into presidential committee on security matters by the govt to negotiate for peace with the terrorist group.

    He maintained that the charges against him were unjust and unfair because he passed the report of his contact with the terrorist to the then, Vice President . Namadi Sambo and the then Director General of Department of State Service (DSS).

    Ndume further told the court that the charge of failure to disclose info on the workings of boko haram cannot be sustained against him because the prosecution did not link any evidence to that effect.

    “Clearly from the totality of the evidence adduced by the prosecution, there is no ingredients of the charges proved as required by law. The analysis of the mobile phones seized from the defendant and subjected to forensic examination did not reveal any offence committed”, the counsel held.

    However the prosecution counsel Grace Okafor urged the court to compel Ndume to open his defense in the charges against on the account that the govt witnesses have effectively link him with the crime.

    The prosecution said that the charge against Ndume has to do with the failure to disclose material information to the security agents on boko haram and rendering support to the terrorist group adding that the Ndume in his own statements tendered and admitted in court confirm that he had enormous info on boko haram which he refused to disclose to government.

    Justice Kolawole after taking arguments from the two parties adjourned ruling to July 4, 2017.

    It would be recalled that the federal government had arraigned Ndume for allegedly sponsoring the activities of the dreaded boko haram sect.

  • Bill Cosby goes on trial for sexual assault

    Bill Cosby goes on trial for sexual assault

    For decades Bill Cosby was “America’s Dad,” loved by millions for his role as an affable doctor and benevolent father on long-running hit TV sitcom “The Cosby Show.”

    On Monday the disgraced 79-year-old goes on trial for aggravated indecent assault, accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a former university basketball director at his home in Philadelphia 13 years ago.

    Some 60 women have since emerged to publicly accuse Cosby of four decades of serial sexual abuse — pulverizing his reputation, ending his career and cementing a brutal fall from grace for an actor who shattered racial barriers.

    In remarkably similar allegations the women say that the pioneering black comedian gave them sedatives and alcohol, which left them powerless to resist his advances.

    But the trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania is likely to be the only criminal case brought against Cosby, formerly one of America’s most popular entertainers, as the vast majority of alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute.

    A 12-person jury in the Montgomery County Courthouse will decide Cosby’s guilt or innocence in a trial expected to last two weeks.

    If convicted, he risks spending the rest of his life behind bars on a minimum 10-year sentence and a $25,000 fine.

    His accuser is Andrea Constand, 44, who at the time was director of basketball operations at Temple University, Cosby’s alma mater.

    The comedian served on the university’s Board of Trustees until his resignation under an avalanche of scandal in 2014.

    Constand alleges that Cosby plied her with pills and wine, and then sexually assaulted her when she went to his home in early 2004 to discuss plans to move to Canada and switch careers.

  • Saraki’s trial will no longer hold from day-to-day – CCT Judge

    Saraki’s trial will no longer hold from day-to-day – CCT Judge

    The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Danladi Umar, on Wednesday declared that the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki will not take place from day-to-day as was the tradition last year.

    Umar made the declaration at the tribunal in Abuja, while adjourning the trial till January 17.

    The adjournment was at the instance of the counsel to the federal government, Rotimi Jacobs, who prayed for time to allow him present some of his witnesses.

    Jacobs informed the tribunal that some of his witnesses were still in Lagos and would need some time for them to arrive Abuja.

    ‎The prosecution urged the tribunal to give a ruling that the trial would be from day-to-day.

    Granting his request for adjournment till next week, Umar, however, ruled that the trial shall not proceed on a day-to-day basis.

    “I’m‎ going to adjourn this matter to next week, but it cannot go on from day to day. We have other cases,” Umar said.

    Saraki is currently standing trial on a 16-count charge of false assets declaration during his time as the governor of Kwara State.

    Earlier, counsel to the Senate President, Kanu Agabi had urged Umar to end the trial in 2017.

  • Fani-Kayode’s trial to resume January 2017

    Fani-Kayode’s trial to resume January 2017

    A Federal High Court in Lagos, has slated Jan. 16, 17 and 18, 2017 for continuation of trial of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode standing trial for money laundering.

    Fani-Kayode, who was also a former Director of Media and Publicity, Campaign Committee of Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, is charged alongside a former Minister of Finance, Nenandi Usman, and Danjuma Yusuf.

    Also charged is a company, Joint Trust Dimension Nig. Ltd.

    They were arraigned on a 17 count-charge bordering on unlawful retention, unlawful use and unlawful payment of money in the tune of about N4.9 billion.

    They had each pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail.

    The trial of the accused which was earlier billed for Dec. 12 was disrupted because of the public holidays.

    The court has now fixed three days Jan. 16, 17, and 18, 2017 for continuation of trial.

    In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offences between January and March 2015.

    In counts one to seven, they were alleged to have unlawfully retained over N3.8 billion which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of stealing and corruption.

    In counts eight to 14, the accused were alleged to have unlawfully used over N970 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of corruption.

    Meanwhile in counts 15 to17 Fani-Kayode and one Olubode Oke who is said to be at large, were alleged to have made cash payments of about N30 million in excess of the amount allowed by law, without going through a financial institution.

    Besides, Fani-Kayode was alleged to have made payments to one Paste Poster Co (PPC) of No 125 Lewis St., Lagos, in excess of amounts allowed by law.

    All offences were said to have contravened the Provisions of Sections 15 (3) (4), 16 (2) (b), and 16 (5) of the Money laundering (prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.

  • Again, absence of defence witness stalls Dariye’s trial

    The trial of former governor of Plateau state, Chief Joshua Dariye, was once again stalled in a Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court Gudu, due to the absence of defence witness.

    Dariye, who was present in court on Tuesday, is facing a 23-count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of Plateau state ecological fund to the tune of N1.162 billion.

    The defence counsel, Mr Garba Pwul (SAN), told the court that one of the witnesses had travelled and could not be served with witness summons.

    He said that the court bailiff could not reach the witness because there was no working day in between the last adjourned date and Tuesday.

    The trial judge, Justice Adebukola Banjoko, who expressed dissatisfaction over the issue, adjourned the case to Jan.18 and 19 for continuation of defence.