Alleged N3.97bn fraud: Badeh to open defence Jan 16
A former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, will, on Janiary 16, 2019, open his defence in the alleged N3.97bn fraud charge preferred against him by the Federal Government.
Solicitors for both parties agreed on the date on Thursday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, following the failure of the defence team to enter a no case submission as was agreed on October 23 when the matter came up.
Counsel to Badeh, Mr. Akin Olujimi (SAN), told the court that failure of the court’s registry staff to avail him of the records of proceedings involving 22 witnesses made it impossible for the defence to file a no case submission.
“Based on our application on October 23, to make a no case submission, your lordship granted the defence and the prosecution permission to file and exchange written addresses on the no case submission.
“I must report that we had some difficulties in getting recording of proceedings of the trial from the court registry.
“The last proceeding that we got from the registry in respect to this matter was that of October 27, 2016.
“That proceeding ended with PW seven and all together, we have called 22 witnesses in this matter that means there is a deficit in the production of proceedings with regard to 15 witnesses,” he said.
According to Olujimi, we consider this a great handicap and so we have decided to go ahead and call evidence in response to the case made by the prosecution.
