Justice
Abubakar Talba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Gudu, Abuja, on Monday,
December 14, 2015, warned counsel to the accused persons in the ongoing trial
of a syndicate that allegedly swindled the Federal
Government to the tune of N1.2 billion in a pension scam not to broach the idea
of plea bargain in his court.
The accused persons-Ibrahim Ahmed Mazangari, Muhammed Sani
Sulaiman, Hajia Fatima Mazangari and Saleh Yerima Tsojon- are being prosecuted
by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 29-count charge
bordering on conspiracy and collecting by false pretense.
The
accused persons, who were offered a biometric contract by a former Head of the
Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, to regularize names of
pensioners on the pensions’ payroll, allegedly smuggled in names of fake
pensioners and collected unearned pension.
Counsel to the first and fifth accused persons, Sale
Sule, had informed the court that his clients
had opened a plea bargain discussion with the prosecution.
However, Justice Talba forbade
him from broaching the subject of plea bargain in his court, saying, “Don’t
mention plea bargain here. I don’t want to hear about it.’’
At the resumed hearing today, counsel to the second accused person, Haruna Eze, pleaded that the case be stood down, as the lead counsel, Sule, had not yet arrived the court before the proceedings started.
At the resumed hearing today, counsel to the second accused person, Haruna Eze, pleaded that the case be stood down, as the lead counsel, Sule, had not yet arrived the court before the proceedings started.
Also, counsel to the third accused
person wrote a letter to the court, saying that he was ill.
However, prosecution counsel, Atolagbe,
told the court that “I just received the letter, asking for adjournment. Given
the nature of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Section 396 (3) and
(4), which stipulates speedy trial in any criminal matter, I urge my Lord to
adjourn the matter to tomorrow because our witnesses are available. Also, on
the issue of stand down, I don’t see it as necessary.’’
Justice Talba adjourned the matter to
February, 23 and 24, 2016 for continuation of trial.
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