Judge’s absence stalls arraignment of Bauchi’s governor-elect Bala
Andrew Orolua, Abuja
Attempt by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to arraign the governor-elect of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama district Abuja was stalled on Monday due to the absence of the judge.
However, the private prosecution counsel for the EFCC, Mr Wahab Shittu, said yesterday that the insinuation that the arraignment was a political witch-hunt against the governor-elect was unfair.
He told journalists who were in court that, “EFCC is an anti-corruption agency, it does not play politics. It exists to serve the public.”
On the arraignment, he said “It is a matter that was ongoing before another judge who has now been elevated to the Court of Appeal.
The expectation he said was that the matter would soon be reassigned to another judge.
“Just a week ago, the registry of this court sent us a notice that today has been fixed for the re-arraignment of the defendant. It was not at the instance of the court.
“You know when a case is transferred to another court, it starts de novo (afresh).”
Shittu said that no one should see Bala fresh arraignment as an attempt by the EFCC to intimidate anyone. “Let us focus on the matter before the court. EFCC exists to serve everybody,” he added.
Mohammed, a former minister of FCT who won the Bauchi State Governorship election in March on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was to be arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu.
He was to be arriagned on a fresh 6-counts charge bordering on false declaration of assets and giving false information to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Though Mohammed and his team of lawyers and prosecuting counsel for the EFCC were present in Court, the Court clerk told the parties the Court was not going to sit because the judge has gone on election petition duty in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He said that a new date for the arraignment would be communicated to the parties .
