EFCC arraigns Dasuki, Baba Kusa NNPC ex-director, Shuaibu
Former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) (left); ex-director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Alhaji Aminu Babakusa and Director of Finance and Administration of the Office of the National Security Adviser, Alhaji Shuaibu Salisu at the Abuja High Court …yesterday. PHOTO: LADIDI LUCY ELUKPO.
• Dokpesi granted bail: N400m, two sureties
• Yuguda, Bafarawa to face trial today
AS the noose tightens around the suspects in the arms scandal, former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was yesterday arraigned at the Abuja High Court alongside a former Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Aminu Baba – Kusa and Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Salisu Shuaibu .
They are facing charges of criminal breach of trust and unlawful diversion of N32 billion. The founder of DAAR Communication Plc, Chief Raymond Alegho Dokpesi , who is also involved in the scandal was yesterday remanded in prison custody by the Federal High Court, Abuja Division pending the fulfillment of bail conditions slammed on him.
The court, before ordering his remand, had granted him bail to the tune of N400milion. Ruling on Dokpesi’s bail request, the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered him to tender his international passport to the Deputy Court Registrar (DCR) and produce two sureties who must deposit N200 million each.
“If your passport is already in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) it should be delivered to the DCR of the Federal High Court in charge of litigation”, the judge ruled.
Justice Kolawole ruled that whereas one of the sureties must be a public servant, either serving or retired, not below the level of a director, the second surety should be an entrepreneur who must submit three years’ tax clearance certificates.
He also ordered one of the sureties to tender to the court registry title deeds of a landed property in any part of Nigeria, the value of which must not be below N200milion.
The sureties, the court said must depose to an affidavit of means, submit two recent passport photographs to the DCR, Administration, of the said court
In a 19-count charge preferred against Dasuki, Baba-Kusa and Shuaibu, EFCC accused them of money laundering and criminal breach of trust.
The charge sheet named Acacia Holdings and Referral Hospital as fourth and fifth defendants, who were also represented by the second accused , Baba – Kusa.
Specifically, they were accused of misappropriating about N32 billion between January 13, 2013, and April 17,2015 in violation of Section 315 of the Nigerian Penal Code Act, and Section 17 (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.
According to the charge sheet read to the accused persons, the sum of N1.45 billion was transferred into the account of Acacia Holdings Limited for special prayers; N170 million was used for the purchase of a four-bedroom duplex; N2.1 billion was paid into the account of DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited ; N380 million was shared to support re-election of members of the House of Representatives; and another N750 million was paid into the account of Reliance Referral Hospital Limited for special prayers.
Other expenditures include the payment of N670 million to a publisher; the transfer of N260 million to Chief Tony Anenih and another N345 million traced to Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, erstwhile Senate President.
The charges in part read: “That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser and Hon. Waripamowei Dudafa (now at large) whilst being Senior Special Assistant , Domestic Affairs to the President on or about 27th November within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit: the sum of N10billion being part of the funds in the account of the National Security Adviser with the CBN, the equivalent of which sum you received from the CBN in foreign currencies to wit: $47million and €5.6million 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.
“That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) between 22nd January 2015 and 19th March 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit: N2,120,000,000 which was in the account of National Security Adviser with the CBN committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property by remitting the said sum into the account of DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited controlled by one Dr. Raymond Dokpesi for the funding of media activities for the 2015 Presidential Election Campaign for the PDP and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol.4, LFN 2004.
“That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser on or about 12th December 2013 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacities entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit: N90million which was in the account of the ONSA with Diamond Bank Plc, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property by remitting the said sum into the account of Brains and Hammers Limited for the purchase of 7-bedroom duplex house at No.11 Mansur Bamalli Drive (D1064), Apo 1 Abuja and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol.4, LFN 2004.”
The trio pleaded not guilty to all the 19 counts and prayed the court to adjourn till today because they had just been served with a counter-affidavit by EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, which adduced grounds why the court should not grant them bail.
Accordingly, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf acceded to the accused persons’ request and adjourned till today hearing of their bail requests and remanded them in EFCC custody.
Similarly, the EFCC has also brought charges against a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda and a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir Attahiru and their firm, Dalhatu Investment Ltd. Sources said they may be arraigned today before Justice Peter Affe.
Dokpesi, charged alongside his business concern, DAAR Investment and Holdings Limited is standing trial on a-six count charge bordering on money laundering and breach of Public Procurement Act, to which he has since pleaded not guilty.
He was accused of receiving N2.1billion from the Office of the NSA between October 2014 and March 19, 2015 for the PDP’s presidential media campaign in breach of provisions of the Public Procurement Act, Money Laundering Act and the EFCC Act.
According to the charge sheet signed by Aliyu Yusuf, Deputy Director, Legal and Prosecution department of EFCC, Dokpesi was alleged to have between October 2014 and March 2015 conducted procurement fraud by fraudulently receiving N2,120,000,000 into the account of Daar Investment and Holding Company for the funding of media activities for the 2015 presidential election campaign of the PDP.
The alleged offence is contrary to section 58 (4) (b) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and punishable under section 58 (6) and 7 of the same Act.
Part of the six-count charge read “that you Dr. Raymond Dokpesi and Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited between October 2014 and 19 March, 2015 in Abuja, conducted procurement fraud by means of fraudulent and corrupt act, to wit: receipt of payment into the account of Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited with First Bank of Nigeria Plc. of public funds in the sum of N2,120,000,000 from the account of the office of National Security Adviser (NSA) with the Central Bank of Nigeria for the funding of media activities for the 2015 presidential election campaign for the People Democratic Party (PDP) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 58 (4) (b) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 58 (6) & (7) of the same Act”.
“That you Dr. Raymond Dokpesi and Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited between October 2014 and 19 March, 2015 in Abuja, entered into a purported contract on presidential media initiative and received payment in the sum of N2,120,000,000 into the account of Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited with First Bank of Nigeria Plc. from the account of the office of National Security Adviser (NSA) with the Central Bank of Nigeria on account of the purported contract without a “Certificate of “No Objection to Contract Award” duly issued by Public Procurement Bureau and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 16 (1) (b), (4) & (5) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 58 (6) of the same Act”.
“That you Dr. Raymond Dokpesi and Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited between 22 January and 19 March, 2015 in Abuja, knew that an aggregate sum of N2,120,000,000 directly represented the proceeds of criminal conduct of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and Shuaibu Salisu who were National Security Adviser and the Director of Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) respectively to wit: criminal breach of trust in respect of the said amount, used the said property and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 17 (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.”
Justice Kolawole has fixed trial for February 17, 18 and March 2 and 3, 2016.
Related
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
5 Comments
Let the judge deal with this case fast and let us move on as a nation.
How much did this judge collect ? To be revealed later !!!!! By a new government !!!. The laws must be meticulously adhered to, not turn nigeria’s judiaciary to a popularity contest platform of who is the most outstanding psychologist, interpreter of Buhari’s mind and hence his so-called ‘CHANGE MANTRA’. The judges must STOP this dangerous trend.
This Ikorodua is a fool !!! You think Nigeria belong to somebody. Or do you think anybody can practise wickedness like all these fools who think they can use Nigeria wealth for self aggrandisement at the detriment of the masses. Where in the World do they practise such things as to turn CBN to cash machine where certain set of people use their privilege of being at the corridor of power to recklessly spend nations money like that? Your Jonathan is useless, heartless, wicked and nothing but a semi-illiterate being. He could only be likened to Idi-amin of Uganda or Bakin Zuwo (former governor of Kano). Even those two might not be as wicked as Jonathan and these guys who never think of their own children as they drain Nigeria treasury dried.
If you don’t have understanding as to how governance work or you just want to be sentimental, keep your mouth shut forever. Your intellect is too shallow for passing any message across on this forum.
You have poured out your frustration, good for you. pls. do more of this cos it’s very important for people like you to bring ‘ it’ out. There is nothing ‘SENTIMENTAL in my submission. It’s a fact which most nigerians are freely, and with much awe, expressing :: the unfortunate TREND of a COMPROMISED JUDICIARY in nigeria. It is and must be worrying for all democrats. We need INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY, and this is not asking too much. Call me anything, that’s not the issue., you ‘ve said absolutely nothing;. So by that token you don’t deserve any characterisation , you are everything.. I’m out
So your definition of independent judiciary are those one who will see black and call it white due to gratification they are getting from criminals as was during Jonathan leadership. I did ask you some pertinent questions but you failed to answer them because of your insincerity. Is Nigeria State the same as PDP or FIFA which your people were given free money to promote for electioneering campaign and for AIT for airing their World Cup tournament? Alternatively tell the world what is not independent in the judge hearing and dealing with people who vandalise our commonwealth by raiding our CBN as if it’s their personal property?
You are entitled to your opinion in a democratic setting but when you vomit sentiment by not using your common sense to allow decorum, fairness and equity to drive your sense of reasoning I’m afraid that people are going to call you to order. Civility call for transparency and accountability and if that was missing then the law must take its course.
We will review and take appropriate action.