The arraignment of Kebbi State Accountant-General,
Alhaji Mohammed Arzika Dakingari and Muza Yusuf, Managing Director, Beal
Construction Nigeria Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, before Justice Sabiu Bala of Kebbi State High Court, Birnin-Kebbi
scheduled for Thursday, August 28, 2014 could not go on after all.
Dakingari and Yusuf were to be
arraigned by the EFCC for offences bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false
pretence, abuse of office and money laundering.
Though, the accused persons were
present in court, they could not take their plea as defence counsel, Suleiman
Usman told the court that he had a pending application challenging the
jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.
According to Usman, "the law is
trite that, where an application of this nature is filed, it has to be
determined first. Your Lordship is enjoined to know that this honourable court
needs to have necessary jurisdictions and powers before it can hear this
case".
However,
counsel to EFCC, Mahmud Bello told the court that he had not been served with
the motion. " My Lord, I am surprised that my learned friend said they
have served the prosecution with the motion. As I speak we have not been
served", he said.
Bello argued that the issue of jurisdiction
can be taken at any stage in the course of prosecuting a case. He urged the
court to take the plea of the accused persons.
Justice Bala, after listening to the
argument of both counsel adjourned the case to September 23, 2014 for hearing
of the application.
Dakingari, among other things allegedly
used his office as the Accountant-General, Kebbi State to purchase 25 units of
Iveco Trucks valued at N175m (one hundred and seventy five million naira) from
Karimat Global Trade Links Limited for his personal company, Cigale Finance SA
based in Lome, Republic of Togo but defaulted in payment.
Efforts by the supplier of the trucks
to recover the money have been futile.
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