The trial of former
Governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswam, over alleged financial misappropriation
before the Federal High Court, Abuja, was on Tuesday stalled on the ground of
his ill health.
Suswam and his former
Commissioner for Finance, Omadachi Oklobia, were arraigned by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on a nine- count charge, bordering on money
laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion.
They were alleged to have
diverted proceeds of the sale of shares owned by Benue Government and Benue
Investment and Property Company Limited.
The offence, the EFCC said
was punishable under Section 15 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act
2011.
At the resumed trial before
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, counsel to Suswam, Mr Ahmed Raj.i SAN, informed the
court that his client was currently on admission in an Abuja hospital.
According to Raji,
following the detention of his client by the Department of State Services and
his release by the same authority, he took ill and is now on admission.
Raji showed a copy of the
medical report from the hospital, where Suswam was admitted, to the prosecuting
counsel, Mr A.O. Atolagbe and the court.
He prayed the court for an
adjournment to allow his client get the required medical treatment to enable
him to attend to his trial.
The prosecutor raised no
objection to the application for an adjournment.
“I was informed this
morning about the ill health of the first defendant, but I am yet to see the
copy of his medical report. I can, however, now confirm that I have seen the
medical report,” he said.
The judge adjourned the
matter until June 21 and June 22.
The News Agency of Nigeria
recalls that Suswam’s case was on March 28, stalled because of his detention by
the DSS.
His counsel, Mr Joseph
Daudu SAN, had told the court that he was absent in court on that day on
account of his detention.
NAN
No comments:
Post a Comment