Again, the trial of a
former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) and four
others before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja,
met a brick wall on Wednesday, April 6, 2016 as J.B. Daudu,
SAN, the lead counsel to the first defendant, Dasuki, sought
a long adjournment to enable his client prepare for his trial.
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).
The trial had been
stalled at the last sitting due to the absence of the first defendant and his
counsel.
Dasuki, according to the
prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, had flatly refused to appear in court
at the last sitting on the grounds that his counsel won’t attend the day’s
proceedings.
At the resumed
hearing today, Daudu filed an application seeking a long adjournment of the
trial on the grounds that he had not had access to the first defendant, thereby
preventing him from taking instructions from him and preparing for his trial.
“The defendant
needs the facilities to enable him have access to his documents in preparation
for trial,’’ he said.
Daudu also prayed
the court for an adjournment to enable the Appeal Court decide on the stay of
proceedings before it.
However, Jacobs, SAN,
who was represented by Adebisi Adeniyi, countered that the application for
adjournment lacked merit.
According to him, “The
application lacks merit, as there is no proof before the court that the
defendant was denied access to his counsel.
“The mere fact that
there is an application before the Appeal Court is not enough for my Lord to
stay this proceedings, except there is an order from the Appeal Court to do
so”, he said.
Consequently,
Justice Baba-Yusuf ordered the prosecution to provide facilities for the first
defendant to have access to his counsel during business hours between Monday
and Friday.
The matter was adjourned to May 3, 2016 for
commencement of trial.
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