Justice
Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court Lagos today, January 14, 2016
issued a warrant of arrest on Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo) over
his failure to appear before the court to answer to charges of money
laundering preferred against him by Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC.
The
warrant of arrest is sequel to Tompolo’s refusal to honour the court
summon. The EFCC had earlier secured an order of court to serve the
defendant through substituted means by affixing the summon and charge at
his last known address in Warri, Delta State. At today’s sitting,
Joseph Nwobike, SAN, counsel to the second accused person, Patrick
Akpobolokemi, a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, pleaded with the court to give
Tompolo more time as he was only served with the summon yesterday. But
Justice Buba informed the court that the reason why the summon was
ordered in the first place is to compel the suspect to appear in court
and defend the charge against him since he has consistently refused to
honour invitations sent to him by the prosecution.
Festus
Keyamo, prosecuting counsel, told the court that after series of
invitations were extended to him, Tompolo responded by placing an
advertisement in the newspaper warning the EFCC not to push him to war.
Justice
Buba granted the request of the prosecution by issuing a warrant for
the arrest of the suspect. He noted that “compelling the presence or
attendance of accused person or defendant in court is to serve him with
summon to appear... Where he fails to appear in obedience to the summon,
the other process to compel his attendance is by way of arrest’’.
Tompolo
alongside nine others including Patrick Akpobolokemi, are facing a 40
count charge of alleged money laundering, conspiracy, stealing and
diversion of funds before a Federal High Court, Lagos. Others are Kime
Engozu, Rex Elem, Gregory Mbonu and Captain Warredi Enisuoh, Global West
Vessel Specialist Limited, Odimiri Electricals Limited, Boloboere
Property and Estate Limited and Destre Consult Limited. The defendants
are said to have fraudulently converted the fund which accrued from the
public private partnership agreement between NIMASA and Global West
Vessel Specialist Limited for personal use.
The case was adjourned to February 8, 2016 for arraignment.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
14th January, 2016
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