The trial of a former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, on corruption charges before two High Courts of the Federal Capital Territory have been streamlined.
This followed the transfer of the two charges into one court for quick and effective trial.
The Chief Judge of the FCT, Justice Ishaq Bello, ordered the transfer of charges before Justice Peter Affem to the court of Justice Baba Yusuf.
He said Yusuf is the only Judge that will now conduct the trial.
Though Dasuki has been granted bails by all the courts involved in his trial, he has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services since November 2015.
The movement of the two charges into one court was at the instance of lawyers to the Federal Government and that of all the defendants in the matters.
The lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacob, confirmed to journalist that the two charges in two different courts will now be conducted by a single court to ensure effective and speedy trial of the case.
Jacob also also said that with the movement of the charges into one court, the issue of consolidation of the charges will no longer arise, having being overtaken by event.
Meanwhile Justice Baba Yusuf has fixed November 16, 2016 for the trial.
At the last hearing on October 5, 2016 before Justice Yusuf, the Federal Government agreed to consolidate the criminal charges filed against Dasuki and others before the two different FCT High Courts.
This followed a complaint by Dasuki that putting him on trial in two different courts on the same issues was abuse of judicial process that would prejudice and cause double jeopardy.
Jacob and Dasuki’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, agreed before Justice Yusuf to formally write Bello to consolidate the two charges in the interest of Justice.
The two senior counsels then applied to Justice Yusuf to adjourn the matter pending the time the CJ would consider the application for consolidation.
The judge, who was then billed to give ruling on Dasuki’s motion for consolidation, put off the ruling because of understanding between the prosecution and the defence and adjourn the matter till October 21, 2016.
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