BREAKING NEWS, Judiciary
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THE Federal High Court Abuja, on Wednesday, June 8, granted bail to Robert Azibaola, cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, and his wife, Stella, to the tune of N1 billion. The duo, who were arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, are answering to a seven-count criminal charge bordering on alleged $40 million contract scam.
Trial Justice Nnamdi Dimgba gave the defendants bail in the sum of N500 million each, even as he ordered them to produce two sureties in the like sum. According to the court, the sureties must be owners of landed properties within the Asokoro District of Abuja. It further stressed that the sureties must present evidence of payment of income tax.
However, Justice Dimgba directed that the defendants should be remanded at Kuje Prison, pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions. Besides, the court ordered accelerated hearing on the matter, even as the case was adjourned till June 28, July 4 and 5 for commencement of trial.
It will be recalled that the court had on Tuesday, remanded Azibaola in prison custody shortly after he pleaded not guilty to the charge. The court however allowed his wife to go home on the basis of an administrative bail the anti-graft agency earlier granted to her. Meanwhile, Justice Dimgba, in his ruling, said he was minded to release the defendants on bail.
The judge stressed that every citizen charged before a court is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
He said the defendants are under the law, entitled to a definite time and facility to prepare their defence. “Taking a holistic appraisal of all the evidence before me, I am convinced that admit the defendant to bail. I believe the need not to make a mockery of the bail system,” Justice Dimgba siad.
Meanwhile, the charges against the defendants attract punishment varying from seven to 14 years imprisonment upon conviction. Specifically, EFCC alleged that the defendants received a $40 million contract from the detained former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki. Equally charged to court over the charge bordering on conspiracy, fraud and money laundering, was a company allegedly belonging to the defendants, Oneplus Holding Limited.
Azibaola was arraigned before the high court after he had spent over 80 days in custody of the EFCC. While moving their bail application, counsel to the defendants, Chris Uche, SAN, informed Justice Dimgba that an Abuja High Court had earlier granted his client bail in the sum of N10 million. He said the order was flagrantly disobeyed by the EFCC. Meantime, EFCC, through its lawyer, Aliyu Yusuf, urged the court to refuse the defendants bail, insisting that allegations against them are very serious.
Some of the charges against the defendants read: “That you Azibaola Robert being the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and a signatory to the Zenith Bank account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert, being a director and a signatory to the account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited and Amobi Ogum (now at large) on or about 8th September, 2014 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to commit an illegal act to wit: money laundering of the sum of $40million transferred to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited with Zenith Bank, Account No. 5070365750 from the account of ONSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria upon a mandate Ref. No. 128/S.5LX/139 purporting to be for the supply of Tactical Communication Kits for Special Services and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you, Azibaola Robert, Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert directly took control of $39.999,958 only out of the total sum of $40million transferred to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited with Zenith Bank, Account No. 5070365750 from the account of ONSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria upon a mandate Ref. No. 128/S.5LX/139 when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Azibaola Robert and Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert on or about 8th September 2014 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court directly converted $39.999,958 only out of the total sum of $40million transferred to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Azibaola Robert and Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert did directly transfer $6,600,000 only being part of the $39.999,958 only out of the total sum of $40million to the bank account of Karahyna Nigeria Limited, a Bureau De Change company for Naira exchange, which you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.
“That you Azibaola Robert and Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert did directly transfer the aggregate sum of $1million only being part of the $39.999,958 only out of the total sum of $40million to the bank account of Reya Telecommunications Nigeria Limited, a sister company to One Plud Holdings Nigeria Limited, which you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.” – Vanguard
— Jun 8, 2016 @ 14:25 GMT
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