The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) suffered a major setback in the trial of Colonel Nicholas Ashinze and three others in an alleged N3billion unlawful transfer as the Federal High Court in Abuja suspended the case over an alleged falsehood and media trial engaged by the anti-graft agency against the military officer.

Ashinze was Military Assistant to former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (Rtd). Counsel to Ashinze, Mr. Ernest Nwoye, had at the resumed trial protested the press statement issued by EFCC in which the defendant was reported to have been indicted by the court for diverting and misappropriating a whopping sum of N36billion. Apart from the alleged N36bn said to have been diverted and misappropriated, the EFCC statement also referred to serving Colonel Ashinze as a retired officer.

The counsel who drew the attention of Justice Gabriel Kolawole to the offending EFCC press statement, tendered the statement and the newspaper publications at the court to establish bias and misrepresentation of the court proceeding of March 7, 2017 by the anti-graft agency. Nwoye told the Judge that Colonel Ashinze was never charged by EFCC for any offence on N36billion diversion and misappropriation and wondered where EFCC Media team, that was not present in the court, got its proceeding that the defendant had been indicted for the amount. The counsel urged the Court to frown at Media Trial the defendant is being subjected to as such action if not checked, will lead to misrepresentation of facts by the general public.

Nwoye also tendered newspaper publications that emanated from the EFCC press statement issued by one Mr. Wilson Uwujare who claimed to be the Head of Media and Publicity in the EFCC. Nwoye said that both the complainant and the defendant are bound by court records of proceeding and any attempt by one of the parties to concoct lies to prejudice the order is against the rule of law and natural justice.

Justice Kolawle who was taken aback by the EFCC’s press statement asked the EFCC counsel, Mr Ofem Uket if he was aware of the press statement and if he ever issued any. The EFCC counsel denied ever granting press interview in respect of the trial but admitted receiving letter of complaint from Nwoye and that he consulted with EFCC and discovered that the Press Statement was actually released to the media. Uket, in his defence said that contrary to the charge of N3billion alleged transfer, evidence from witnesses have shown that about N5billion was involved. However, Justice Kolawole who was not impressed by the argument of the EFCC’s counsel told him that the proceeding would have to stop pending the time the EFCC would put its house in order by stopping to mislead the public on court proceedings. Justice Kolawole in a short ruling on the protest from Barrister Nwoye said that “It is unfair for EFCC as a complainant in this trial to resort to self-help by engaging the defendant in the media trial at the same time in the court trial. “If you want to try the defendant in the media, you have to limit yourself to the media. You have to stop misleading the public in the fact of this trial. Let me say it for the sake of emphasis that EFCC must stop the use of journalists to distort proceedings in my court. You cannot be engaging in two trial: one in the court and one in the media at the same time. If you are not satisfied with my decision to stop this trial pending the time the EFCC retract this offending press statement of my court proceeding, then you can take your case to another court “This press statement by one Wilson Uwujare who claimed to be from EFCC is scandalous and prejudice to fair trial of the defendant in this matter. “In order to prevent media and court trial at the same time with one misrepresenting the order, I have stopped this trial pending the time the EFCC retracts the offending press statement. The trial of the defendant has nothing to do with N36billion diversion and misappropriation. “The retraction has to be done between now and April 13, 2017. And this EFCC witness is hereby ordered to step down from the witness box and come back on April 13, 2017 “The court proper proceeding cannot materialise where records and facts of the case are being distorted by EFCC that is even the complainant in the matter.” It would recalled the EFCC, had arraigned the quartet of Colonel Nicholas Ashinze, an Austrian, Wolfgang Reinl; Edidiong Idiong and Sagir D. Mohammed before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 13-count charge of corruption and money laundering to the tune of N3.1bn. The defendants however denied the charges preferred against them. Ashinze and other defendants were arraigned alongside five companies accused of allegedly diverting huge sums from the office of the former NSA. The companies are: Geonel Integrated Services Limited, Unity Continental Nigeria Limited, Helpline Organization, Vibrant Resource Limited and Sologic Integrated Services Limited.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/03/court-stops-efcc-case-falsehood-media-trial/

Yorubaangel:
EFCC has really suffer from Judiciary in the last 5days... no more executive influence judgement, The parliamentary arm is also standing firmly on its feet... the Executive is gradually loosing it's grip on other arms of government... Seems Mr Democracy is forcing itself on us... All is a sign of great future for this blessed country....

Trut:
Front page...

Trut:
Front page...

JackieChan01:
and the shilduren of hate are blaming the senate for rejecting that useless criminal called Magu.

the fact is that Buhari's government has ended up archiving nothing
starting from economy to corruption fight
all na propaganda and wash with sole aim of revenge and personal vendetta.
don't be surprised if these Dasuki gate turns out to be a hoarse and scam because with terrorist Buhari every scam is possible including chibok girls.

useless incompetent docile and dumb administration rule by a useless worthless scumbag idiotic vagabond kunu sipping monkey terrorist called buhari

Boleyndynasty2:
I keep saying it, EFCC keep ranting on media and never ready for proper investigation. I don't know if they've never heard the word CLASSIFIED before in their entire life. They'll keep running their mouths like women fighting in market places.


See what their stupidity has cost them. Charge For 3billion but come to feed online trolls 36billion thereby winning the case online but truly losing where it matters most. Shame on them. No professionalism at all

amjoseph19:
cc: mynd44 this should be on front page.
I don't know why this is not yet.

Sunnynwa:
Another one kisses the dust. Lalasticlala over to you.

Trut:
You can hardly see CHRONIC ZOMBIES in this kind of thread.

Trut:
lalasticlala come and move this thread to front page

drss2:
efcc is just a bull dog of harrassment for dis govt. notin more notin less. in sane climes, investigations ar done with maximum confidentliality before a suspect is nailed. but in nijeria, suspects ar arrested, maltreated n harrased with exaggerated lies n half truth before investigation is done. only a brainless pesin will expect individuals to be convicted from dis gross act of incompetence.