Parties Decides to re-assigned cases involving Dasuki, others.
Parties in the criminal cases involving former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col Sambo Dasuki and others have agreed that the two charges against them be brought before a single judge for determination.
They resolved yesterday to approach the Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, to seek his consent to have both cases assigned to Justice Husein Baba-Yusuf to handle.
Involved in the first case are: Dasuki, a former Director of Finance, Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu; a former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa and his two companies – Acacia Holding Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
They are accused, in the case pending before Justice Baba-Yusuf, of diverting about N13.6 billion, property of ONSA.
Those involved in the second case before Justice Peter Affen (also of the High Court of the FCT), are: Dasuki, ex-Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, a former Director of Finance at the office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, a former governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir Bafarawa and their company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.
They are accused, in the second case, of diverting about N9.2 billion from ONSA.
At the resumption of proceedings yesterday, lead prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), suggested that the court shelve the scheduled hearing of a motion by Dasuki, challenging the simultaneous existence of both cases.
Jacobs urged Justice Yusuf to allow parties approach the Chief Judge for the reassignment of the other case before Justice Affen to his court.
Although lawyer to Dasuki, Joseph Daudu (SAN), was initially inclined to move his client’s motion, he later changed his mind and accepted Jacobs’ suggestion.
Daudu, Jacobs and other lawyers in the case agreed to write the court’s Chief Judge to request the re-assiagnment of the case before Justice Affen.
The parties agreed to return on October 21 to report the decision of the Chief Judge on their letter.
The former NSA argued in the motion that both cases marked: FCT/HC/CR/43/2015 and FCT/HC/CR/42/2015 are identical and should be merged in the interest of justice and fair trial to avoid double jeopardy.
