Court Remands Ex-SGF Babachir Lawal, 5 others In EFCC Custody

TRACKING>>The former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, and five others were yesterday remanded in the custody of the EFCC following their arraignment before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on graft charges.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on January 30 filed a 10-count charge of fraud and fraudulent acquisition of properties against the former SGF and two other persons.

Also listed in the charge sheet are Rholavision Engineering Ltd and Josmon Technologies Ltd, the companies allegedly used to perpetrate the contract fraud.

Others listed as defendants are the director of Rholavision Engineering Ltd, Hamidu David Lawal, another employee of the company, Sulaiman Abubakar and managing director of Josmon Technologies Ltd., Apeh Monday.

Buhari had last year suspended Lawal from his position following public outcry by a cross section of Nigerians who accused the administration of harbouring corrupt persons.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

In view of their not-guilty-plea, the prosecution counsel, Mohammed Abubakar asked for a date for commencement of trial.

Counsel to Babacahir, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN) informed the court that he had filed a bail application on behalf of his client but that the prosecution refused to be served the application.

Consequently, Olujinmi moved an oral application, urging the court to grant Lawal bail on self-recognition.

According to him, the first defendant had served Nigeria meritoriously at a high level as SGF, an office he held for over two years before the Senate raised the issue that brought him before the court.

He added that the EFCC had invited Lawal and detained him on April 11, 2018 and granted him administrative bail on April 13, 2018.

Olujinmi informed the court that while on administrative bail, the former SGF had cause to travel abroad on health ground and informed EFCC about it.

“EFCC released his international passport for him to travel. He returned the passport to them on his return to the country. If he had wanted to escape, he could have done so while he travelled out of the country,” he argued.

Olujinmi further contended that his client did not have any reason to interfere with EFCC’s investigation as the commission had completed its investigation into the matter.

Similarly, counsel to the other defendants drew the court’s attention to their bail applications and urged the court to release their clients on bail.

However, the prosecution counsel stated that he was not aware that any EFCC officials refused to accept service of the first defendant’s bail application.

He stated further that there was no affidavit before the court, showing that the application was refused to be accepted, adding that he needed time to respond to the oral application by Olujinmi.

The presiding judge, Justice Jude Okeke, stated that the court was inclined to giving considered ruling on the applications and as such adjourned till today to deliver ruling.

The judge, however, ordered that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody pending the ruling on their bail applications.