NAN-H-77
Absence
By Edith Nwapi
Abuja, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Trial within trial in the police pension fund case was stalled in a High Court in Maitama, Abuja on Wednesday due to the absence of the fourth defendant Mrs Veronica Onyegbula.
The judge, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, had on Nov. 29 adjourned the case to Nov. 30 after hearing submissions from the counsel in the matter of the veracity of the fourth defendant statements to EFCC.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Onyegbula was arraigned alongside six other persons.
Onyegbula and other defendants in the suit, Esar Dangabar, Atiku Kigo, Ahmed Wada, Sani Zira, Uzoma Attang and Christian Madubuke, are standing trial over complicity in the alleged N24billion police pension fund fraud.
At the last sitting, the fourth prosecution witness, Mustapha Gadanya, in his testimony, told the court that he reviewed the cheques that were drawn by the fourth defendant.
“Onyegbula was invited to the EFCC to volunteer statements on Feb. 13, 15, 16 and 17; March 22 and 26; May 2 and Oct. 22, 2012.
“I took her statement in the EFCC interrogation room.After the statements, a search warrant was executed in a Sun City home in Abuja.
“We recovered various documents, among which was document on Ulovi International Resources Ltd account with Eco bank”, he said.
The witness also told the court that another search was executed in the same house subsequently.
“We recovered several other documents including an agreement signed with Revita Core, a GTB deposit slip and some documents of Lloyd International Bank”, Gadanya said.
Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), then sought to tender the documents, but counsel to the defendant, Mr Ernest Ikeji objected.
Ikeji said that his client did not make those statements voluntarily, citing sections 29 (2) (b) of the Evidence Act 2011.
“EFCC refused to release her on bail saying that her bosses have been released and if she refuses to make statements she will remain there.”
He urged the court to conduct trial within trial to obtain the truth of the document.
Jacobs then told the court that he would be calling four witnesses to testify in the trial within trial.
All the counsel in the matter did not object to the application for adjournment by counsel to Onyegbula.
Baba-Yusuf, thereafter, adjourned hearing in the trial within trial until Jan. 20, 2017. (NAN)
NEO/HAS/IEA
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Idahosa Asowata