EFCC accuses ex-Works Minister of plotting to jump bail

Posted by admin EFCC Politics, Ministries Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

ABUJA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has challenged the release of the travel documents of a former Minister of Works, Hassan Muhammed Lawal, who is being prosecuted alongside 13 others over a N75 billion fraud at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, stating that the move is a ploy by the ex-minister to jump bail.

Lawal and the other accused are facing trial before Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal Hight Court in Abuja. Others include Dr. Adeogba Godwin Ademola, Eng. Abbey Ayodele; Eng. George Elzoghibi; Nairda Limited; Thahal Paul; Okala Phillip Yakubu; Dave Enejoh; Digital Toll Company Ltd; Swede Control Interlink Ltd; Proman Vital Ventures Ltd; Siraj Nigeria Ltd; Wise Health Services Ltd and GIS Transport Ltd.

Lawal is the principal accused person in the charge.

Lawal had on June 21, 2011, approached the court with a motion on notice urging the court for an interim release of his international passport deposited in the court to enable him travel overseas to perform the lesser Hajj (Umra).

The EFCC counsel, Wahab Shittu, in his reply, said the sole reason the applicant seeks reliefs before the court is to travel to Saudi Arabia which is outside jurisdiction of the court to perform a non-mandatory lesser Hajj.

According to Shittu, “there is no compelling finality about the hajj neither will the non-performance adversely affect the applicant in any way.”

The prosecution further argued that in view of the gravity of the offence of N75 billion fraud and the conviction, if found guilty, “it is observed that the risk involved in granting the reliefs sought by the applicant is greater compared to the denial of the applicant herein, especially where he jumps bail, the power of the court to reach him outside jurisdiction will be limited and this will put a clog in the wheel of justice.”

He submitted that the reason Lawal had canvassed in the affidavit for an interim release of his international passport “is not cogent enough in relation to the risk involved in the grant of his application wherewith the likelihood of jumping bail is high.”

Similarly, the EFCC also challenged the application of the 10th accused person , George Elzoghbi who also filed a 13 paragraph motion on notice praying the court to release his travel documents on health grounds. He claimed that he has a health problem which resulted in an extensive surgery carried out on his back and touching on the spine sometimes in July, 2009.

But the prosecution counsel also told the court that the directive that the International Passport of the applicant be deposited with the Court Registry is not in doubt and that if the accused person steps outside the country and outside the jurisdiction of the court, his likelihood of jumping bail is very high.

“The eventual breach on the competence of the court by his jumping bail will fundamentally affect the further adjudication of this case, the justice of the matter being determined, and perhaps set a bad precedence for other accused persons in this case,” he stated.

The court will rule on the two applications today

-Vanguardwp_posts