N2.1bn arms deal: Court discharges case against Dokpesi, DAAR

Thu, Apr 1, 2021

2 MIN READ

Judiciary

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged the case against Raymond Dokpesi and his company Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited, over money laundering and breach of the Procurement Act.

The case was instituted against Dokpesi by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and in relation to disbursement of the N2.1 billion meant for arms purchase while Col. Sambo Dasuki was the national security adviser, NSA, in 2014.

A three-man panel of Court of Appeal judges on Thursday, April 1, unanimously upheld the two appeals by Dokpesi and Daar Investment and proceeded to set aside an earlier ruling of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which rejected the no-case submissions made by the appellants.

Justice Elfreda Wiialims-Daudu who read the judgement held the prosecution did not make out a prima facie case against the appellants and did not also establish the elements of the offences charged to warrant the appellants to be called upon to enter a defence.

Dokpesi and Daar Investment were being tried before the Federal High Court on a seven-count charge of money laundering and breach of Procurement Act by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, after calling 14 witnesses, Dokpesi and his firm made no-case submissions, which Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a ruling on November 24, 2018 rejected and ordered them to enter their defence, a decision Dokpesi and Daar Investment appealed. – with reports from The Nation

– Apr. 01, 2021 @ 16:12 GMT

Tags: DAAR N2.1bn arms deal: Court discharges case against Dokpesi

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