Justice Gabriel Kolawole of
the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed November 4, 2015 for definite hearing,
in a 21-count charge of failure to declare assets, obtaining by false pretence,
conspiracy and concealing the illicit origin of stolen pension fund to the tune
of N18.3bn brought by the EFCC against Sani Shuaibu Teidi, former Director of
Pension Accounts, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation,
Udusegbe Eric Omoefe (also known as Otega Akpotehir) and 10 others.
The trial judge, on October
8, 2015 also advised both the prosecution and defence to exchange all the
documents needed to be served to one another at the appropriate addresses,
before the new adjourned date as no excuses will be permitted again to extend
the trial.
The decision of the judge
came on the heels of the outcome of the day’s sitting. The prosecution could
not present its witnesses in court, though they were present in court to
testify against the accused persons. The inability to do so was due to the
defence counsel’s claim that it was not served with the set of bank affidavit
and statements of account, which were to be produced in court by the bank
officials.
However, prosecuting
counsel, Peter Ezegamba, told the court that the defence was served a day
before using the address given by the defence, which was within the
jurisdiction of the court.
He added that: “The bank
statements being requested by the defence had already been frontloaded in the
proof of evidence as the bankers are only here to produce documents and show
that the documents were generated from their computer.”
Counsel for Teidi, A. S.
Akpala, claimed that no processes were served on him as “the address the
prosecution sent the processes to were not the address I’m using in this court
proceeding.” He argued further that if the case goes on without his team
having the processes, they will not have an opportunity for fair hearing.
After entertaining the
arguments from both counsel, Justice Kolawole, fixed November 4, 2015 for “definite hearing”.
The accused persons are
alleged to have used the following companies – Gozinda Enterprises, Bashinta
Nigeria Limited, Haleath Enterprises, Uthatak Nigeria Limited, Krasiva Nigeria
Limited, Badawulu Ventures Limited, Ebunu Attah Investment, Muha Millennium
Motors Limited and Riba-ile Petroleum Limited, to steal pension funds.
One of the counts reads:
“That you, Dr Sani Teidi Shuaibu, while serving as Director of Pension
Accounts, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation of Nigeria,
Udusegbe Eric Omoefe (also known as Otega Akpotehir), Gozinda Enterprises,
Bashinta Nigeria Limited, Haleath Enterprises, Uthathak Nigeria Limited and
Krasiva Nigeria Limited at various times between March 2010 and June 2010
within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, conspired to obtain by false
pretence and with intent to defraud various sums in aggregate amount of
N1,951,592,000.00 from the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Pension
Account held by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation of Nigeria,
through fictitious contract payments into bank accounts held by Gozinda
Enterprises, Bashinta Nigeria Limited, Haleath Enterprises, Uthathak Nigeria
Limited and Krasiva Nigeria Limited with the former Oceanic Bank Plc now known
as Ecobank Limited, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section
8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and
punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related
Offences Act, 2006.”
It will be recalled that
Teidi’s re-arraignment by the EFCC followed his application to the Chief Judge
through his counsel, Sunday I. Ameh, SAN, seeking the transfer of the case to
another court over an alleged bias of the then trial judge, Justice Ademola
Adeniyi.
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