Court to resume $15.5m fraud trial of ex-aide to GEJ on April 3

chika ebuzor

February 23, 2017 7:18 AM

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 1(2) (c), and 1(19) (6) of the Miscellaneous offence Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Waripamo-Owei Dudafa

A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday adjourned till April 3, continuation of trial of Waripamo Dudafa, a former aide to ex- President Goodluck Jonathan.

Dudafa is charged alongside a former staff of Skye Bank Plc, Adedamola Bolodeoku, and a lawyer, Amajuoyi Briggs, on a 17 count-charge bordering on 15.5 million dollars fraud.

The defendants, who are standing trial before Justice Babs Kuewumi, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The alleged offences are said to have contravened the provisions of Sections 15 (d), 17(a), 18(a), and 27 (3) (c) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004.

The prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 1(2) (c), and 1(19) (6) of the Miscellaneous offence Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

At the resumption of trial on Wednesday, Oyedepo tendered some documents through his witness, Mr Uche Obiakor, a Deputy Manager in Skye Bank Plc., asking the court to admit same as exhibits.

The witness had earlier given evidence on how the defendant opened accounts with the bank.

Some of the documents tendered by the prosecution includes: Skye Bank letters to the EFCC on the account opening packages of four companies.

The companies are: Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, TransOcean Property and Investment Company Ltd, and Avalon Global Property Development Ltd.

But the defence counsels, Mr Gboyega Oyewole, Mr Ige Asemudara and Mr Joseph Okobieme, objected to the admissibility of the documents.

They argued that the attached documents were photocopies, adding that the EFCC was not the original maker of the documents.

They therefore urged the court not to admit the document as exhibits.

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Oyedepo in reply to the application for rejection urged the court to admit the documents sought to be tendered as exhibits.

He argued that it was not the duty of the court to separate the letters from the attachments, adding that if the letters were admitted, the attachment must go with the letter.

After listening to arguments of counsels for both parties, Justice Kuewumi adjourned ruling until April 3.

chika ebuzor