Alleged Money Laundering Charges On Goje And 4 Others, EFCC To Take More Witnesses

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Yakubu Busari

The alleged money laundering charges  trial of  the Former Governor of Gombe State ,Senator Danjuma Goje and 4 others  by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)  on Monday 25th April, 2017 was adjourned to 20th ,21st May,2017 for more witnesses to testify before the honourable Court.

In a letter dated 11th April, 2017 with reference No NASS /CNA/103/Vol.6/153 from of the office of the clerk to the National Assembly on suit involving distinguished Senator Danjuma Goje and others vs the federal republic of Nigeria.

Its was signed by M.A .Sani-Omolori seeking the honourable court that Senator Danjuma Goje is the Chairman of the Senate committee on appropriation charged with the sold responsible of collating and finalizing the budget.

The statement said, “at this time, the 2017 budget is being finalized and is expected to be laid ,defended and passed around the period of 25th and 26th April, 2017 up to few days thereafter”.

The clerk said, the essence of this letter is to crave your kind indulgence to urge the honourable court to adjourn this case for two weeks from 26th April, 2017 to enable the Senator attend to this urgent National assignment.

However, the defence lead counsel Chief Niyi Akintola ,SAN presented the application before the honourable court that the matter be adjourn to enable his client attend to National duty of federal republic of Nigeria.

Akintola SAN,suggested that another day which is subject to my Lordship the judge approval which was opposed by the prosecuting counsel of EFCC ,Bar Wahab Shittu that without prejudice ,the SAN has just informed the court the stake have strong reservation about which consider very dangerous to the administration of justice .

Shittu argued that the matter I’d criminal trial which the three of the accused standing trial are before the honourable court and criminal trial is monumental to the reportage set particularly on the integrity of the judiciary.

He told the honourable court that the independent ,integrity of judiciary to precise over criminal the defendants have no chosen day but to appear in court because the matter HSS do with criminal trial.

Wahab Shittu the prosecuting counsel insisted that accused should communicated him earlier of the first defendant (Senator Danjuma Goje) ,they sent me the full details of the clerk letter subsequently with conversation of the letter.

According to the EFCC ,I also insisted this adjournment is as the instance of defendant which should be place on record strength this became a regular patten ,inconvenient because the witness are coming down outside this jurisdiction and they have to go back.

He said we been benevolent here my Lord if not I order the Senator Danjuma Goje on bench warrant believing that there will no repeat of this incident failure to proceed is punching the judicial tires which is the worst when an accused will be absence in court.

In his reply according to law ,counsel to Senator Danjuma Goje, Chief Akintola  SAN  said the prosecuting counsel has opened Pandora box with his six pages against scheduled adjournment that ordinary he has misled this court with 16 times request of series adjournment.

Akintola stressed that all the adjourned dates was as the instance of the parties which requested to regularize documents .

The judge ,Justice Kadiri Quadiri has adjourned the hearing to 20th and 21st for witnesses to testify .

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