Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of
the Federal Capital Territory( FCT) High Court, sitting in Maitama,
Abuja, on Friday, December 18, 2015, granted Col. Sambo Dasuki( rtd.), a former
National Security Adviser, and five others bail in the sum of N250m each.
Dasuki alongside Shuaibu Salisu, a
former Director of Finance and Administration, Office of the National Security
Adviser; Aminu Babakusa, a former General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation; Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited are
being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal
breach of trust to the tune of N13, 570,000, 000.00( Thirteen Billion,
Five Hundred and Seventy Million Naira).
One
of the counts reads: “That you, Col. Mohammed Dasuki( rtd.), whist being the
National Security Adviser and Shuaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of
Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, and
Hon. Warripamowei Dudafa(now at large), whilst being Senior Special Assistant,
Domestic Affairs to the President, on or about 27th November, 2014
in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court entrusted with
Dominion over certain properties, to wit: the sum of N10, 000,000,000( Ten
Billion Naira) being part of the funds in the account of the National Security
Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria( CBN), the equivalent of which
sum you received from the Central Bank of Nigeria in foreign currency to wit:
$47,000,000( Forty-Seven Million dollars) and 5.6 million Euros,
committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you
claimed to have distributed same to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)
presidential primary election delegates and you thereby committed an offence
punishable under section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol.4 LFN 2004.’’
At
the last sitting, counsels to the five defendants had urged the court to grant
their clients bail, arguing that the charges preferred against them were
bailable.
However,
the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs,SAN, had prayed the court to refuse the
five defendants bail based on the gravity of the alleged offences committed as
well as the proof of evidence against them.
According
to him ‘‘they are not entitled to bail because they may jump bail. I recognise
that the granting or refusal of bail is at the discretion of the court. But if
they will interfere with investigation of other cases that will be instituted
against them, you can refuse them bail. If bail application is filed, it is not
automatic that it must be granted. The proof of evidence showed the purposes
for which the money was meant for, which was for the purchase of security
equipment.’’
In
his ruling on the bail application at today’s sitting, Justice Baba-Yusuf
granted each of the accused persons bail in the sum of N250m with one surety in
like sum, who must deposit their international passports with the court.
The
surety must be a top civil servant not below the level of Director; with evidence
of ownership of a property worth N250m.
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