N38bn scam: EFCC insists on Bankole’s trial

Posted by admin EFCC Politics, House, Legislature, National Politics Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

A fresh attempt to scuttle the ongoing trial of the immediate past speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole, was, on Tuesday, frustrated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), which insisted that the former number four citizen must allow his trial to continue unfettered, if he was sure of his innocence.

The EFCC, in a counter-application filed through its prosecuting counsel, Festus Keyamo, dismissed the latest application filed by counsel for Bankole, Adegboyega Awomolo, seeking the withdrawal of Keyamo’s representation in the matter as a cheap ploy to delay or stall the trial.

Bankole had, before now, written several applications, seeking to quash the case against him on the basis that the EFCC did not have the right to prosecute him.
He had also questioned the linkage of the crime to himself, among other things.

Awomolo had, also in his application which was filed and served on the prosecution on Monday night, questioned the credibility and neutrality of Keyamo in the matter, having accused the former speaker on the same issue before the National Assembly.

He contended that Keyamo had taken the case personally, had been biased and, hence, was not qualified to prosecute the case.

The defence counsel further stressed that the recent gazette of the Federal Government on the operation of the EFCC, which was released by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Muhammed Bello Adoke, had not empowered Ke-yamo to take up the case on behalf of the EFCC.

Reacting to the development, Keyamo insisted that as a citizen of Nigeria, he had every right to accuse and, in fact, prosecute anyone he felt had stolen public funds.

He disagreed with the defence counsel that he was biased and had taken Bankole’s case personally, saying that he had nothing to gain personally from the prosecution of the former speaker other than that justice was done to check the impunity of corrupt elements in power, who considered it their preserve to feed fat on the wealth of the country.

On the excuse that Keyamo had earlier taken up Bankole on the same issue of taking illegal loan while holding sway as the speaker of the House of Representatives, he replied that he “never at anytime written any petition or done anything personally in relation to this charge, which has to do with illegal loans by the House of Representatives.”

He also submitted that accepting the prayers of Bankole against Keyamo would mean that “the court will always embark on a voyage of pampering an accused person until he chooses a prosecutor with whom he feels comfortable.”

-Tribunewp_posts