Dasuki’s trial put off again

The trial of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, in the alleged misappropriation of security fund brought against him by the Federal Government has been put off again.

The High Court of Federal Capital Territory put off the trial of Dasuki following the inability of the Federal Government to file the list of exhibits to be tendered against the ex-NSA as required by law.

At the resumed hearing, counsel to Dasuki, Adeola Adedipe, raised objection against the continued trial of his client on the ground that the prosecution team, led by Rotimi Jacobs, has not complied with some provisions of the law.

Adedipe, who stood in for Joseph Daudu and Ahmed Raji, informed Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf that contrary to Section 379 of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act 2015, the prosecution has not made the list of exhibits available to Dasuki to enable him to prepare his defence in compliance with the law.

This was despite the fact that the prosecution has already called its witness into the box.

The objection raised by Dasuki’s counsel was agreed upon by Justice Baba-Yusuf who remarked that the process of law must be complied with in the interest of justice and fair play.

Justice Baba-Yusuf said that any attempt to circumvent any section of the provision of the law can make nonsense of the trial in the end.

The court, therefore, adjourned the trial to September 27 and 28 as well as October 8 and 9, 2018 for the continuation of trial.

The court ordered that necessary processes must be filed and served on parties before the returned dates.

Dasuki through his counsel had objected to tendering of the voluminous documents that were not clearly stated in the list of the exhibit being sought to be tendered against him by the Federal Government.

He specifically insisted that most of the documents sought to be tendered against him were from unknown people who were not listed as witnesses in his trial and that such documents are objectionable.

The position of Dasuki was adopted by other defendants in the trial who in their submission urged the court to compel the prosecution to comply with the necessary provision of the law to make the trial go unhindered.

Also, counsel to Aminu Baba-Kusa, Solomon Umoh (SAN), applied to the court for a permission to allow his client to travel abroad for a medical check-up.

The application was not opposed by the government’s counsel, who told the court that the applicant had once gone abroad for medical checkup on the permission of the court and came back for his trial.

Justice Baba-Yusuf while granting the application ordered his travelling passport be returned to him to enable go for the medical check-up and that the applicant must return to the country before the adjourned date and return the travelling passport to the court’s custody.