The trial at the Federal High Court Gombe, of the former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on charges bordering on conspiracy and money laundering, was today stalled as the defence sought for an adjournment citing his ill health.
Goje who is standing trial before
Justice Babatunde Quadri, along with three others, was not in court.
His counsel, Adeniyi Akintola (SAN),
while presenting a medical report, which he said emanated from the National
Assembly Clinic, cited ill-health as the reason for the absence of his client.
He said, “I appeal to the EFCC counsel
to accept the adjournment because the first accused person has never been
absent in court except today, and he deserves to be respected as the immediate
past Governor of the state, and a serving senator.”
The EFCC counsel, Wahab Shittu, who
wondered that the accused person was healthy enough to attend political rallies
but too sick to attend his trial, opposed the application for adjournment,
arguing that the medical report was forged.
He said, “The medical report does not
bear the name of the doctor that signed it, and no official stamp is on it.”
He argued further that Sections 122 and
130 of the Criminal Procedure Act states that when an accused on bail is absent
in court, the surety must appear to furnish the court with necessary
information but in this instance, both the accused and surety were not in
court.
The case has however been
adjourned till March 17 and 18, 2015 for continuation of hearing.
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