An
Abuja court today granted bail to a former National Security Adviser,
Sambo Dasuki who has been held behind bars over the alleged embezzlement
of arms deal funds in the region of $2.1 billion.
Sambo Dasuki
An Abuja High Court has again reaffirmed the bail granted former
National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki and five others in the
arm deal trial involving $2.1bn, according to the Vanguard.
Justice Baba Yusuf reaffirmed the bail on Dasuki on the ground that
he was entitled to it and having being admitted to same since 2015 when
the federal government brought criminal charges against him. Dasuki and
five others were re-arraigned before Justice Baba Yusuf on the criminal
charges that was transferred from Justice Peter Affen of the FCT High
Court to the new court.
However after the 22 count charges were read to the six defendants
and all pleaded not guilty, counsel to Dasuki, Mr. Ahmed Raji applied to
the court to reaffirm the bail granted to the ex-NSA even though he has
not been allowed to enjoy same since December 2015.
The counsel submitted that it was on record that the FCT High Court
24 admitted Colonel Dasuki retired on bail before he was illegally
arrested and detained by the Department of the State Security Services
(DSS).
Raji argued that with the transfer of the case from Justice Affen
to Justice Baba Yusuf, the DSS has been separated from the matter,
adding that the court record indicated that the Ex-NSA is being
prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and
not DSS that had been acting as interloper.
The counsel further said that the illegal act of interloper should
not be used to divest the court of its power to reaffirm the bail
granted Dasuki earlier because he is entitled to it.
The SAN then urged Justice Baba Yusuf to adopt the bail conditions
earlier granted Dasuki before Justice Affen and reaffirm same in the
interest of justice. The counsel argued that it is wrong of the
prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) to have objected to the
reaffirmation of the bail condition on Dasuki, adding that he (Dasuki)
has in his possession a judgment of the ECOWAS Court which last year set
aside the unlawful detention of the Ex-NSA and also imposed a fine of
N15,000,000 on the Federal Government as compensation to his client.
Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, who
spoke as a friend of the court argued that there was no dispute that
Dasuki was granted bail but has not been released by the DSS to enjoy
the bail. The Senior counsel described the action of DSS as most
unfortunate and urged Justice Baba Yusuf to resist the temptation of
being drawn into the illegality of actions of the DSS on Colonel
Dasuki.
The Federal Government Counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacob had informed the
court that he has no objection to the affirmation of the bail earlier
granted to five other defendants in the trial. But however urged the
judge not to make any pronouncement or order in respect of the bail for
Dasuki since he has not being allowed to enjoy any bail. Rotimi Jacobs
said: “Court must not act in vain, there is no point making an order
in vain. Dasuki has been in the custody of the DSS since 2015 and is
still there till today.”
However in his brief ruling, Justice Baba Yusuf said that it is
undisputable fact that Ex-NSA being the second defendant in the charge
was admitted bail in 2015 and that it would be in the interest of
justice to reaffirm the same bail irrespective of the action of another
arm of the security agencies.
The judge adjourned trial in the matter to February 24, 2016.
Others charged along with Dasuki are former Finance Minister of State,
Mallam Bashir Yuguda; a former Director of Finance and Administration in
the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA), Shuaibu Salisu;
Dalhatu Investment; Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa and a former Sokoto State
governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa.
No comments:
Post a Comment