•Directs return of case files to Justice Kolawole
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, has reversed his decision to reassign the cases involving ex-Head of the Civil Service Steven Oronsaye and businessman Raymond Dokpesi to a new judge.
The new judge to which the case was reassigned yesterday declined to take any step.
Justice Auta earlier this year reassigned the case from Justice Gabriel Kolawole (before who Oronsaye and Dokpesi had been arraigned) to Justice James Tsoho, who was redeployed from the Lagos division.
Dokpesi and his company, Daar Investment and Holdings Limited, were, on February 17 re-arraigned before Justice Tsoho, who allowed them to remain on the bail granted by Justice Kolawole.
Yesterday, parties were in court, hoping that Oronsaye and others, named in a 35-count charge, would be re-arraigned before the new judge.
When the case was called, Oronsaye and two other defendants: Osarenkhoe Afe and his company, Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, were present. Oronsaye and Afe were in the dock.
Prosecution lawyer Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) noted that other defendants in the case – Global Services Limited, Cluster Logistic Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited and Crew Investment & Construction Company Limited – were not represented.
Jacobs urged the judge to direct that the charge be read to the defendants and that a “no guilty” plea be entered for the other defendants in accordance with Section 478 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
At that point, Justice Tsoho told parties there was no need for the charge to be read because there was a new development.
“This file came to me in error. The instruction is that I should return it to the judge that started it. As you know, I am just coming. I don’t know the intricacies involved. I have received instruction from the appropriate quarters,” the judge said
Jacobs wondered why it was only the Oronsaye case that was to be returned to the old judge. He noted that other criminal cases that were commenced by other judges before his (Tsoho’s) redeployment to Abuja, but reassigned to him, have not been withdrawn.
Responding, Justice Tsoho said: “I have also learnt that the other criminal cases reassigned to me came in error.
“I don’t think I need to make any explanation on that. If you require detailed information, you should refer to the appropriate quarters,” he said.
The judge, in a short ruling, said :”It has been realised that this case came to me in error. I have been directed by the chief judge to return the file to Justice Kolawole. I wish you good luck.”
Dokpesi and his company were arraigned last December 9 before Justice Kolawole, on a six-count of alleged procurement fraud and breach of public trust at N2.1 billion.
They were said to have received N2.1 billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) between October 2014 and March 2015, which was used for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) presidential media campaign, an offence breaching the Public Procurement Act, Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and the EFCC Establishment Act.
Dokpesi and his company were again re-arragned before Justice Tsoho on the same charge.
Although further hearing in the case was, on the last day, scheduled for today, it is not certain if anything would be done in the case before Justice Tsoho.
Oronsaye and two others – Osarenkhoe Afe and his company, Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited – were arraigned last July 13 on a 24-count for allegedly laundering about N1.2 billion.
They pleaded not guilty.
They were charged under Section 14 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006; offences said to be punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2 006.
The prosecution amended the charge, included four companies as defendants, and raised the count to 35.
END
Be the first to comment