A Federal Capital Territory High Court has adjourned the trial of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), till February 4 for the hearing of his application for stay of proceedings.
Dasuki is standing trial alongside a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu and a former Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa over the alleged diversion of $2.1 billion arms procurement funds.
Aminu-Kausa’s two firms – Acacia Holdings Ltd and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited – are also part of the accused.
Dasuki had filed an application for stay of proceedings on the grounds that the prosecution was in contempt of court by disobeying an order granting the ex-NSA bail.
Dasuki was re-arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) On December 29, 2015 shortly after he was released from prison upon fulfilling the bail conditions granted him by Justice Yusuf on December 18.
Dasuki’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), on Friday told the court presided over by Justice Baba Yusuf the essence of the application which he said bordered on the integrity of the court and the ability of the former NSA to prepare adequately for his defence in the trial.
But the lead prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had urged the court to direct that the trial should begin.
He opposed the hearing of Dasuki’s application, citing provisions of section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, the law guiding criminal proceedings, which prohibit the court from entertaining such applications.
He also cited section 396 (1) to (3) of the ACJ Act which stipulates that any application challenging the competence of criminal charges could only be considered along with the substantive issues in the case and ruling on it delivered along with the judgment on the entire case.
But Justice Baba said he was inclined to hearing the application and reserved ruling on it.
Other defence lawyers, Mr. Solomon Umoh (SAN), Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), and Olawale Akoni (SAN), had also complained that they were not served with either Dasuki’s application or the prosecution’s counter-affidavit to it.
Some of them also maintained that the trial could not commence as suggested by the prosecution as they were just moments before the proceedings served with an additional proof of evidence.
But Jacobs said the additional proof of evidence was only served upon request by one of the defence lawyers, Akoni.
The judge however ordered that all parties to the suit should be served with the processes relating to the application and adjourned hearing till February 4.
