The attempt by Imaobong Akon
Esu-Nte, an accountant with the Nigeria Prisons Service to frustrate a case of
conspiracy, forgery, abuse of office and money laundering brought against her
and two others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today
failed as Justice E.S Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja frowned
at a motion by the defendant challenging the competence of the court to hear
the matter.
The trial judge warned against any attempt to frustrate the speedy
determination of the case and adjourned to Monday, May 25, 2015 for hearing on
the motion.
Etsu-Nte is being prosecuted on an
11-count alongside one Olukolade Olabamiji, a businessman and Mohammed
Abdulkadir, a banker for allegedly laundering funds from the Nigeria Prisons
Service into the accounts of companies where she has interests.
The trial which began on March 16,
2015 started with the first prosecution witness, Sini Omar, telling the court
how the Abuja socialite, Esu-Nte used her position as Prison Accountant, and in
connivance with other accused persons to launder money from the accounts of the
Nigeria Prisons Service to their companies: Royal Mall Nigeria Limited,
Transferase Ventures and I.D Integrated Petroleum on the guise of executing non
existent contracts
The prosecution in a bid to prove
its case tendered documents in support of its claims. But, the admissibility of
the documents was strongly objected by Ashaolu, SAN who claimed that the
documents were not voluntarily rendered to the prosecution. He asked the court
for a trial-within-trial to determine their voluntariness.
Justice Chukwu, in granting the
defence prayer, adjourned the case to May 20, 2015 for the trial-within-trial
to commence.
At the resumed hearing of the case
today, after counsel to both parties have announced their appearances to set
the stage for the business of the day, Etsu-Nte’s counsel, Ashaolu, SAN, told
the court that, he had a pending motion challenging the competence of the court
to adjudicate on the matter. He urged the court to quash the charge against the
accused as it lacked jurisdiction.
Responding, counsel to EFCC, L. P
Aso told the court that, the matter had already gone into trial, that “the
defence action is a calculated attempt to drag this matter”.
Justice Chukwu has adjourned the
case to May 25, 2015 for hearing of the motion on the court's jurisdiction.
He warned that his court would not
tolerate any attempt by any counsel to frustrate the quick dispensation of
justice.
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