N450m campaign fund: Court adjourns Belgore, Suleman case to June 25
*Federal High Court, Lagos
(Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has adjourned till
June 25, and 26, 2018, hearing in the N450 million campaign fund fraud case
involving Professor Abubakar Sulaiman and Dele Belgore.
This followed the submission by Belgore’s counsel E. O
Sofunde, SAN, before Justice Muhammed Aikawa that since Professor Sulaiman was
not properly represented by a lawyer, there was need for an adjournment to
enable him get a replacement which was accepted by the judge and case was
adjourned accordingly.
However, on Muhammad Dele Belgore's application that a
statement he made to the EFCC be
produced was dismissed by Justice
Aikawa.
The judge ruled that Belgore did not prove that he made that
statement and accordingly his application was dismissed. Belgore had specified
that he made more than one statement on 27 December 2016 but the EFCC was did
not produce all those statements in court.
He prayed the court to direct the EFCC to produce them as he
requires them for his defense. Also, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, a former
Minister for National Planning under President Jonathan's administration had
appeared in court without his counsel.
He informed the court that he has instructed a new counsel
to act for him, but the new counsel informed him that he is otherwise engaged
today with another EFCC matter. Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, representing the EFCC,
nevertheless pressed the court for trial to continue.
Belgore's counsel, E.
O. Sofunde SAN replied that given what Professor Sulaiman had told the court
the appropriate step to take was for the case to be adjourned so that Professor
Sulaiman may also be represented.
The case was therefore adjourned to 25 and 26 June 2018.
Belgore and Sulaiman are facing charges relating to election
funds for the last presidential election in 2015. They are accused of taking
possession of N450 million when they reasonably ought to have known that the
funds were proceeds from an unlawful purpose and for disbursing those funds to
various people. Both have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The duo were on November 28, 2017, re-arraigned before the
court by the anti-graft agency on an amended 9-count charge bordering on the
alleged offence.
They however, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was
read to them.
In the 9-count amended charge, the EFCC alleged that a
former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (said to be
at large) conspired with Belgore and Sulaiman on or about March 27, 2015, to
directly take possession of the sum of N450 million, which they reasonably
ought to have known formed part of proceeds of unlawful act.
The trio were also alleged to have taken the said funds in
cash, which exceeded the amount authorized by law, without going through the
financial institutions.
Belgore, Sulaiman and Madueke were also alleged to have paid
the sum of N50 million to one, Sheriff Shagaya, without going through the
banks.
They were equally accused of paying the sum of N10 million
to one, Dr. Emmanuel Onucheyo, Resident Electoral Commissioners, Independent
National Electoral Commission, INEC, Kwara State, without going through any
financial institution.
The EFCC also alleged that the trio paid N10
million to CP Garba Salihu, in violation of Sections 1(a), 16 (d) of the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 16
(2) (b) of the same Act.
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