Justice Ademola Adeniyi of Federal High Court in Abuja Wednesday ordered the Federal Government and its agents, the Department of State Services to bring the immediate-past National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) before him on February 16.
Justice Adeniyi gave the order after he was notified that the ex-NSA, whose trial was originally scheduled to commence Wednesday, was not brought to court by the prosecution.
Dasuki is facing a five-count criminal charge for money laundering and illegal possession of firearms.
Specifically, government alleged that on July 17, 2015, during a search of Dasuki’s residence at 13, John Khadiya Street, Asokoro, Abuja, various firearms without requisite licence were found there.
He also had $40,000, N5 million and another $20,000 in the same house and same date in violation of the money laundering law..
Besides, again, the government alleged that the former NSA on July 16, 2015, at his residence at Sultan Abubakar Road and Sabon Birni Road, Sokoto State, retained another $150,000 and N37.6 million, part of proceeds of unlawful act.
The former NSA has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, while the court fixed Wednesday to begin full hearing in the case.
He’s missing—Counsel
When the matter was called for trial, Dasuki’s lawyer, Mr. J. B. Daudu (SAN), told the court that his client, about six weeks ago, was abducted by security agents to an unknown place.
Daudu alleged that his client since then has been kept incommunicado, and efforts by his family members and lawyers to have access to him were rebuffed by the government.
More so, Daudu stressed, his client was duly admitted to bail by three different courts where he was arraigned, wondering why the government was bent on retaining him in custody without preferring any charge against him.
Consequently, he prayed Justice Adeniyi to compel the Federal Government and its agents to respect all the subsisting court orders that sanctioned the release of his client on bail pending hearing and determination of all the charges against him.
Meantime, the prosecutor, Mr. Dikpo Okpeseyi (SAN), Wednesday, failed to give any reason why the former NSA was not brought to court.
Rather, he applied for and then withdrew an earlier application government filed, wherein it asked Justice Adeniyi to revoke the bail he granted to Dasuki on November 3, 2015.
Dissatisfied that the absence of Dasuki from court was not anchored on any cogent reason, Justice Adeniyi ordered that he must be produced before any further step could be taken in the matter.
The judge maintained that it is mandatory for a defendant in a criminal matter to be physically present in court at every stage of the prosecution.
He said that only the court has the power to excuse an accused person from being physically present in the course of a trial.
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Source: http://www.thenicheng.com/30774-2/
