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By Christopher Oji
Cross-examination of the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, in the trial of Abubakar Ali Peters and his company, Nadabo Energy Limited, over alleged N761 million oil subsidy fraud, was stalled in Lagos, yesterday, due to the defendant’s absence.
Justice S.S. Ogunsanya of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, had, at the last proceedings on September 22, 2021, adjourned till November 1 and 2, 2021, for the defence to cross-examine the EFCC chairman after the conclusion of his examination-in-chief.
Bawa had told the court that investigations by the EFCC into petitions received from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and some concerned Nigerians in 2015, alleging fraud in the subsidy regime, uncovered forged documents allegedly used by the defendant to claim subsidy funds for 12,000 metres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), “whereas only about 6,000 metres was imported by the defendant”.
At the resumed sitting yesterday, however, rather than commence with the cross-examination of the witness, counsel for the defence, E.O. Isiramen, informed the court that his client was absent having contracted coronavirus.
However, the judge asked him to give the court the specific isolation centre, where his client was receiving treatment.
“There are several isolation centres; and moreover, there is no medical report before the court,” Justice Ogunsanya queried.
In response, Isiramen said: “I don’t know precisely where he is; the report was sent via email.”
The judge, expressing surprise, however, stressed that the court was a “court of records not of speculation”.
While adjourning till December 16 and 17, 2021, Justice Ogunsanya gave the defence seven days to furnish the prosecution and the court with the medical report, and to pay N309,000.00, within seven days, to defray the costs incurred by the two witnesses, whom the prosecution had brought to court from Abuja for the matter.
