N2.1bn Arms Deal: The Frustrated Effort to Try Dokpesi

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N2.1bn Arms Deal: The Frustrated Effort to Try Dokpesi

By Correspondent

Many Nigerians who have been monitoring trends in the ongoing trial of the former Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, were on March 3, 2016 taken aback, when his trial on his involvement in the alleged N2.1billion arms procurement scam was frustrated by what was termed, “The illegibility of certain pages of some documents presented by the prosecution as parts of evidences in prosecuting the case.” Dokpesi is answering questions to a six-count criminal charge. He was accused of receiving about N2.1billion from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential media campaign. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in its argument posited that the funds were made available to Dokpesi by the immediate past NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) between October 2014 and March 19, 2015. The said fund, according to the anti-graft agency was allegedly transferred allegedly from an account in the office of NSA operated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to a First Bank of Nigeria Limited account owned by DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited. But when the case was called for hearing before Justice James Tsoho of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, lead lawyer to the former Daar Communications boss, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who notified the court that the defence was fully prepared for the trial, however, observed that due to their inability to read some of the contents of a document they just got supporting the case of the prosecution, it would be difficult to proceed with the trial. The senior lawyer had informed the judge earlier, of how the defence tried frantically, to get a copy of additional proof of evidence/statement of witness submitted by the prosecution. Olanipekun further admitted that counsel for the prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), on February 17, 2016, intimated him that he had filed an additional proof of evidence, but quickly added that he was not duly served. Olanipekun, while further addressing the court, advised the prosecution to put its house in order. The lawyer prayed the judge to direct the prosecution to put into a clear and readable form the additional proof of evidence as well as the original, so that all parties in the case would be on the same page. But in responding, lawyer for the prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), argued that the defence was served on February 24, 2016. Jacobs maintained that the lead counsel did not give an address for service; hence it was served on one of the lead counsel. The EFCC lawyer said, “It is professional and right to serve one of the lead counsel,” just as he added that the notice was served on the former Attorney General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi, SAN, who is one of the defence team. The prosecution lawyer also noted that if the defence was having difficulty in reading the handwriting of a witness, it should not be a ground for the defence to request for production of a fresh document. 

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