Alleged N600m property fraud: Court adjourns suit against ex-CNS until June 14
NAN-H-35
Adjournment
By Edith Nwapi
Abuja, May 22, 2017 (NAN) An FCT High Court on Monday adjourned until June 14 the N600 million property fraud suit filed against retired Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, a former Chief of Naval Staff(CNS).
Justice Sadiq Umar, adjourned the matter for continuation of cross examination of Mr Abdulkadir Wakili, the fourth prosecution witness following an objection by Mr Yakubu Maikya (SAN), Jubrin’s counsel.
He objected to a document, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wanted to tender.
Jibrin was on May 25, 2016 arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and purchase of a property valued at N600 million without budgetary provision.
He was charged alongside retired Rear Admiral Bala Mshelia, retired Rear Admiral Shehu Ahmadu, and Harbour Bay International Limited.
EFCC had alleged that the property was purchased from the account of Naval Engineering Services Limited.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, Wakili from Nigerian Navy Budget Office, Abuja, testified and presented the Navy budget from 2013 to 2014.
Maikya objected to the admissibility of the document, as it was the same document presented already in the Navy Budget and that it was not admissible in law.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr Abdullah Faruk, argued that the tendering of the document was in line with Section 106 (b) of the Evidence Act.
He said that the document was approved by the National Assembly.
Earlier, Mr Peter Ogwu, Managing Director, Peterus Nigeria Limited, the company that sold the property to Harbour Bay International Limited, testified in the matter.
Ogwu, led in evidence by Faruk, said that the property was sold in March 2014 by his company to Harbour Bay.
Ogwu said that all the legal documents to the property were presented to the Diamond Bank branch office manager were the money was paid in. (NAN)
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Edited by Obike Ukoh
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