Absence of witnesses stall Babachir Lawal’s N544m fraud trial

The trial of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, on Thursday was stalled as none of the prosecution witnesses came to court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecution counsel, Mr. Ofem Uket, informed Justice Jude Okeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court that although, the matter was slated for continuation of trial, none of his witnesses was in court.

Uket apologised for the prosecution team’s inability to produce witnesses, adding that it is not in his character to stall trial the way it happened.

However, Lawal and five other defendants were present in court.

Consequently, the prosecution counsel pleaded with the court to give him another date to enable him reach out to the witnesses.

‘It is regrettable that none of my witnesses is in court for this trial. I wish to apologize for this and I humbly urge this honourable court to give me another adjournment,” he pleaded.

Counsel to Babachir Lawal, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN) sympathised with the EFCC counsel, stating that the counsel had informed him of his predicament before the court started sitting.

Olujimi, a former attorney general of the federation did not object to the EFCC’s request for an adjournment of the case.

Justice Okeke subsequently, adjourned the matter to June 10 and 16 to enable EFCC put its house in order.

At the last trial, a prosecution witness one Aminu Muhammed, a principal procurement officer in the SGF’s office, had told the court that neither Babachir Lawal nor any of the defendants in the trial participated in the bidding process or award of the contract in dispute

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Muhammed, who is a member of the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE), had testified that the body was solely responsible for the award of the contract without Babachir Lawal, who was then in office as SGF.

While being cross- examined by Chief Olujimi (SAN), counsel to the ex-SGF, the witness had stated that none of the defendants standing trial played any role in the procurement process conducted by the presidential Initiative.

Lawal is facing trial alongside six others in an alleged N544.1m contract fraud.

The former SGF, his brother, Hamidu Lawal, who is a director of Rholavision Engineering Limited, an employee of the company, Sulaiman Abubakar and the Managing Director of Josmon Technologies Limited, Apeh John Monday, are standing trial before Justice Jude Okeke on a 10 -count charge on N544million grass cutting deal that turned sour.