N6.8b theft: Court adjourns to May 12, trial of NAMA MD, others
(Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday,
adjourned till May 12 for the trial of Managing Director of the Nigeria
Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, charged with stealing the
agency’s money amounting to N6.8 billion.
Abdulsalam is charged alongside six others.
The other accused are: Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Agbolade Segun,
Clara Aliche, Joy Adegorite, and two Limited Liability companies, Randville
Investment Ltd and Multeng Travels and Tours Ltd.
They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC.
When the case was called on Wednesday, the prosecutor, Mr
Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that his witnesses were present in court.
He reminded the court that the case was adjourned to April
27 and April 28 for trial, adding that the prosecution was ready to proceed
with the trial.
Meanwhile, counsel to the accused, Mr Wale Akoni, SAN,
opposed the prayer for the commencement of trial on the grounds that he
required time to discuss with his client.
He also pointed out that he had not had sufficient time to
peruse the proof of evidence, so as to enable him prepare for trial.
The counsel, therefore, urged the court to grant an
adjournment in favour of the accused, in the interest of Justice.
Consequently, Justice Babs Kuewumi, adjourned the case to
May 12 for trial, while he vacated the previous date of April 28.
EFCC had on April 7, arraigned the NAMA boss, three
directors of the agency and the wife of one of the directors, before the court.
They had all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The charge was subsequently amended to include three more
accused persons, and all accused persons where re-arraigned on April 12.
They again, pleaded not guilty to the charge, and were
admitted to bail in the sum of N20 million, with two sureties each in like sum.
In the charge, the EFCC alleged that on August 19, 2013, the
accused conspired to induce NAMA to deliver the sum of N2.8 billion to Delosa
Ltd, Air Sea Delivery Ltd and Sea Schedules Systems Ltd.
It was alleged that the delivery was under the pretence that
the money represented the cost of clearing NAMA’s consignments.
It was also alleged that between January 2 and December 17,
2013, the defendants allegedly converted N191 million belonging to NAMA to
themselves.
They were said to have also converted N728 million between
2013 and 2015, as well as other sums.
The alleged offence is said to have contravened the
provisions of Sections 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related
Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3).
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