EFCC accuses Bankole of delaying trial Over Corruption charges.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Nafada of delaying trial on allegations of misappropriation and breach of trust.
They were arraigned before Abuja High Court on a 17-count charge of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and theft.
They were to enter into defence yesterday, but at the resumed hearing of the case, their counsel, Tayo Oyetibo SAN, pleaded for time, as they sought the leave of the court to file an application for a no-case-submission.
Oyetibo had told the court that they just received the court’s record of proceedings of the evidence led by the prosecution and submitted that after reading it, they need time to prepare their submissions.
Responding, prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo said, the plea for more time was an attempt to further delay the trial of the case, which the presiding judge, Justice Suleiman Belgore, had promised to conclude before the end of the year.
Keyamo further said that the defence team should not have waited for the court’s proceedings before preparing for their defence.
Justice Suleiman Belgore told the defence team to file their written addresses on the no-case-submission and also urged the prosecution to reply before the next adjourned date of January16. On November 29, 2011, Wale Akanni, defence counsel for the 1st accused had requested for the court proceedings to enable them prepare for their defence to which the judge asked them to apply to the registrar.
On that day, EFCC presented three witnesses and one exhibit, bringing to 12 and 42 witnesses and exhibits presented respectively.
The witnesses include Mr. Franklyn Onyesagbe, a civil servant and the principal administrative officer with the Federal Ministry of Finance, he testified that in June 2011, his office received a letter from EFCC requesting for the procedures for lending monies by government agencies, which he said his office promptly responded to.
The response to the letter, which was signed by the Director General, Budget Office was admitted in evidence and marked A42.
Others that testified included Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, the clerk of the National Assembly and Mr. Rasheed Abdullahi a Deputy Superintendent of Police on secondment to the EFCC.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Nafada of delaying trial on allegations of misappropriation and breach of trust.
They were arraigned before Abuja High Court on a 17-count charge of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and theft.
They were to enter into defence yesterday, but at the resumed hearing of the case, their counsel, Tayo Oyetibo SAN, pleaded for time, as they sought the leave of the court to file an application for a no-case-submission.
Oyetibo had told the court that they just received the court’s record of proceedings of the evidence led by the prosecution and submitted that after reading it, they need time to prepare their submissions.
Responding, prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo said, the plea for more time was an attempt to further delay the trial of the case, which the presiding judge, Justice Suleiman Belgore, had promised to conclude before the end of the year.
Keyamo further said that the defence team should not have waited for the court’s proceedings before preparing for their defence.
Justice Suleiman Belgore told the defence team to file their written addresses on the no-case-submission and also urged the prosecution to reply before the next adjourned date of January16. On November 29, 2011, Wale Akanni, defence counsel for the 1st accused had requested for the court proceedings to enable them prepare for their defence to which the judge asked them to apply to the registrar.
On that day, EFCC presented three witnesses and one exhibit, bringing to 12 and 42 witnesses and exhibits presented respectively.
The witnesses include Mr. Franklyn Onyesagbe, a civil servant and the principal administrative officer with the Federal Ministry of Finance, he testified that in June 2011, his office received a letter from EFCC requesting for the procedures for lending monies by government agencies, which he said his office promptly responded to.
The response to the letter, which was signed by the Director General, Budget Office was admitted in evidence and marked A42.
Others that testified included Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, the clerk of the National Assembly and Mr. Rasheed Abdullahi a Deputy Superintendent of Police on secondment to the EFCC.
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