The trial of Abubakar Sambo, the Director of Finance and Account of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), could not proceed at the Federal High Court in Abuja due to his hearing loss.
Ishaka Dikko, SAN, who appeared for Sambo, told Justice Musa Liman about his client’s ill-health.
When the matter was called for commencement of trial and the defendant walked into the dock, Dikko stood up and told the court that they were not ready to proceed with the hearing.
The senior lawyer told the court that Sambo had been battling with the hearing challenge for some time which he had been managing medically.
He said the defendant’s present state of health was that he could hardly hear when one speaks to him, except if it reduced into writing.
Justice Liman however asked Dikko if there was any medical report to certify Sambo’s state of health but the lawyer apologised, saying he only got to know the latest development about three days ago.
When the judge asked Osuobeni Akponimisingha, lawyer to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), about his submission, the prosecuting counsel said they had a witness in court and were ready for the trial.
He, however, did not oppose Dikko’s application for adjournment and Justice Liman fixed Nov. 6 for the trial.
Sambo, who was re-arraigned before Justice Liman on Jan. 28, is being prosecuted for allegations bordering on N1.84 billion fraud.
He was re-arraigned on three-count charge for allegedly diverting the funds to personal accounts.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts, and admitted to bail on earlier bail conditions granted by a sister court, presided over by Justice Bolaji Olajuwon.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Olajuwon had, on June 24, 2024, granted Sambo a bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in the like sum.
The judge held that the sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court with original certificates of occupancy (CofO) which must be deposited with the deputy chief registrar of the court.
She equally ordered the sureties to provide affidavits of their tax clearance in the last three years with a one passport photograph each.
Justice Olajuwon adjourned the matter until Oct. 17, 2024, for commencement of trial.
However, the judge was transferred to another division of the court, making the case to start denovo (afresh).
NAN reports that the anti-corruption commission had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/209/2024, sued Abubakar Abdullahi Sambo as sole defendant.
In the charge filed on May 10, 2024 by Akponimisingha, an Assistant Chief Legal Officer in the commission, the ICPC alleged that Sambo sometime in March 2023 while being the Payment Finaliser on the Government integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform of REA did finalise the payment of the totai sum of N1.84 billion (N1,835,000,000.00).
It alleged that the funds were done in different tranches for the use of Henrrientta Onomen Okojie, Asuni Adejoke Aminat, Usman Kwakwa, Laure Shehu Abduilahi, Emmanuel Pada Titus and Musa Umar Karaye for a purported project supervision exercise without requisite approval, thereby contributing to the economic adversity of the REA.
The commission said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 68 of the Public Enterprise Regulatory Commission Act, CAP. P39, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
In count two, Sambo was accused to have used his access password to access the REA’s GIFMIS platform and finalised the payment of the sum of N1.84 billion in different tranches for the use of Okojie, Aminat, Kwakwa, Abdullahi, Titus and Karaye for a purported project supervision exercise without authority.
The offence was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 6(4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015.
In count three, Sambo was alleged to have conferred corrupt advantage on Okojie, Aminat, Kwakwa, Abdullahi, Titus and Karaye when he used his access password to access the REA’s GIFMIS platform and finalised the payment of N1.84 billion in different tranches for their use for a purported project supervision exercise without requisite approvals.
The ICPC said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
NAN reports that Karaye, Titus and Okojie were also arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of a sister court on separate four-count charge preferred against them.
While Karaye and Titus were arraigned before Justice Nwite on June 13, 2024, Okojie was arraigned on June 14, 2024.
Usman Ahmed Kwakwa was also arraigned on June 13, 2024 on separate criminal charge before the judge and all of them were admitted to a N50 million each with two sureties each in the like sum.(NAN)
