A new dimension was added to the trial of former National Security Adviser, Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) on Monday as the federal government asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to revoke the bail it granted him on September 1, this year.
The federal government said that intelligence has revealed that Dasuki had concluded plans to take advantage of the court order to travel abroad to escape justice and temper with investigations. Dasuki, who is facing charges of unlawful possession of fire-arms and money laundering, had had his Abuja residence besieged by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) since November 4, a day after he was permitted by the court to travel abroad for three weeks for medical care.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Diri, who represented the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at the resumed hearing on Monday also queried the absence of Dasuki in court. According to the federal government application, which is seeking to revoke Dasuki’s bail pursuance to section 169 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and inherent powers of the court, doing so would offer opportunity to question Dasuki in relation to fresh money charges which he has allegedly
refused to answer. The defendant is undergoing investigation by the committee auditing procurement of arms/equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence Sector from 2007 to date.
The government also said that its Interim Report indicated that the resources running into over Two Billion USD was allegedly embezzled and the investigation is unfolding further facts that require the presence of Dasuki to assist in investigation. More importantly, the federal government has ordered the arrest of all those indicted by the report including Dasuki based on the interim report.
Diri also stated that while the investigations of alleged money laundering are on-going there are fears the investigation might be tempered with if Dasuki travels abroad. He said that ailment on the basis of which the court released Dasuki’s passport can be treated at the National Hospital, Abuja and other teaching hospitals in Nigeria.
Diri also complained that for three consecutive sittings of the court on this criminal matter the accused (Dasuki) was not court. He wondered why he would be absence without specific court order. In his response, counsel to Dasuki, Joseph Daudu (SAN) said he would argue their objection to the federal government application first even as he insisted that the federal government shall not be granted audience until it purge itself of contempt. He said there is explicit permission given to the accused by section 266 (d) of (ACJA) to be absent during the hearing of interlocutory matters. Justice Adeniyi Ademola adjourned the matter to 26 and 27 November to take all pending applications and the trial.
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