Omokore: Court threatens case close over EFCC witness absence

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has threatened to close the federal government case against Jide Omokere, an ally to Diezani Allison-Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum Resources in the $1.6bn fraud levelled against her and others.

Omokere is being tried alongside Victor Briggs, former managing director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC); Abiye Membere, former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the NNPC; David Mbanefo, former Manager, Planning and Commercial of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on a nine-count amended charge of criminal diversion of about $1.6 billion suspected to be proceeds of petroleum products belonging to the federal government.

The court observed with dismay that the non-production of prosecution witnesses by the EFCC, according to the defence lawyers, had become a recurring decimal.

At a resumed trial, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, the prosecution counsel, told the court that the lead counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), asked for a stand down.
Atolagbe thereafter informed Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, the trial judge, that Jacob had informed him on Wednesday night that he could not get the prosecution witnesses who were billed for examination.

Atolagbe said Jacob told him that the prosecution witnesses, who are supposedly operatives of the EFCC, were writing examination.

Reacting to Atolagbe’s request for a stand down or adjournment, Lawal Rabalan (SAN), representing the 1st defendant, though admitted that Jacob called him on the issue, expressed reservation.

He decried the attitude of the EFCC since the trial commenced, describing it as “unfortunate”.

The 1st defendant’s counsel stated that rather than call its witnesses, the prosecution resorts to media trial.

“My lord, let us proceed fairly, with the belief that at the end of the day, parties will be satisfied that justice has been done.

“Most of the adjournments granted by this court since this trial started are at the instance of the prosecution. In fact, none of the defence lawyers has asked for an adjournment,” Rabalan stated.

Resisting the request the 1st defendant’s lawyer, however, counsels to the 2nd, 3rd and 5th defendants all aligned themselves with Rabalan’s submission.

Justice Dimgba said he was minded to grant the oral application seeking the court to close the prosecution’s case, but warned against reoccurrence.

“I would have closed the case of the prosecution, but I will grant the prosecution one more indulgence,” the court held.

The case has since been adjourned till April 26 and 27 for the prosecution to call its witnesses.

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