Court Dismisses Theft Charge Against Lagos Trade Fair Director, Four Others
A Lagos High Court in Ikeja has dismissed a theft charge filed against the Executive Director, Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board (LITFCMB), Bassey Eyamba and four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trial judge, Justice Kudirat Jose dismissed the charge after the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mhammed Adoke (SAN) filed a notice of discontinuance.
Bassey alongside Okafor Eunice, Francis Dajilak, Okocha Lazarus and kolo Barnabas were arraigned before the court by the commission in 2013 on a 20 count charge of conspiracy to steal and stealing over N50 million.
At the resumed hearing of the matter last week Friday, Adoke through a letter with reference number SGF/PS/FMTI/422/T, dated March 4, 2015, asked the court to discontinue the criminal proceedings.
The notice, brought pursuant to section 172 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law No 11, Laws of Lagos state 2011 was attached with eight paragraph affidavit sworn to by the counsel to the EFCC, A.B.C. Ozioko.
Part of the letter reads, “That the present criminal information, to wit: Charge No: ID/239c/2013 filed against the defendants before this honourable court on 12th July, 2013 and trial has commenced.
“That the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice entered a nolle prosequi to discontinue this prosecution,” the prosecution affirmed.
No reason was given for the action.
But before the development, the defence counsel, John Kalu had filed a preliminary objection urging the court to dismiss or striking out the charge for want of jurisdiction on the ground that it is premature, an abuse of court process, incompetent and ultra vires to the powers of the EFCC.
The lawyer had also prayed the court for an order for compensation in the sum of N500million for the unlawful detention and malicious prosecution of the defendants.
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