By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA – Failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to produce its witnesses in court, on Monday, stalled trial of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Robert Azibaola and his wife, Stella.

Robert Azibaola and his wife

The duo are answering to a seven-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against them before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The defendants are facing trial over alleged $40million contract scam.

At the resumed sitting on the case, EFCC lawyer, Mr. Francis Jirbo, told trial Justice Nnamdi Dimgba that the prosecution was having difficulties calling witnesses in the order it intended.

Jirbo pleaded the court to grant the anti-graft agency one more indulgence to enable it to get the witnesses.

“My lord, we seek the court’s indulgence to enable the prosecution make the last independent efforts to get its witnesses to court in the manner and sequence it intended”, he pleaded.

It will be recalled that a similar scenario played out on January 30 which was the last adjourned date.

EFCC had earlier informed the court that it would call six more witnesses against the defendants, adding that three of them were operatives that investigated the matter.

At the resumed sitting on Monday, Justice Dimgba queried why the prosecution failed to produce the three operatives to give their testimonies while it await the other witnesses.

Jirbo insisted that calling the operatives at this stage of the trial would disrupt the sequence with which the prosecution wishes to conduct its case.

“We do not want to call our witnesses in a haphazard manner. We have sequence and how we want the evidence to flow. We do not just want to call anybody. We want the court to give us the last to produc our next witness”, EFCC lawyer added.

Meanwhile, the defence lawyer, Mr Goddy Uche, SAN, who did not object to the request for an adjournment, however noted that the prosecution has only called four out of ten proposed witnesses.

He said the defendants were anxious for an expeditions determination of the case in order to clear their names which he said the EFCC tarnished before the public.

“If, by the next adjourned date the defence is not able to present its witnesses, we shall be constrained to apply that this charge be struck out”, Uche submitted.

While adjourning the case till April 27 for continuation of trial, Justice Dimgba warned that the prosecution should concentrate on leading evidence to sufficiently prove its allegation against the defendants instead of focusing on the sequence with which it will presents its witnesses.

It will be recalled that Azibaola was arrested on March 23, 2016, and subsequently arraigned before the high court after he had spent 90 days in EFCC custody.

The anti-graft agency has so far called four witnesses who have all denied knowing the defendants or having anything to do with their company, Oneplus Holdings Nig. Ltd.