By Ikechukwu Nnochiri & Adamu Shaibu`
ABUJA—The much awaited trial of six persons accused of complicity in the $ 180 million Halliburton scam could not commence yesterday as scheduled, as the Federal Government failed to produce the accused persons for arraignment before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, who is prosecuting the accused persons, claimed he could not produce them in court due to undisclosed logistics problems.

He, however, prayed trial Justice Justice David Okorowo to adjourn the matter to a another date to enable him put his house in order, with a view to ensuring that all the accused persons were properly served with both the incriminating charges against them as well as the hearing notice.

The AGF, who was represented in court yesterday by one Mrs Omotunde Fatunde, maintained that though hearing was slated to commence in the matter yesterday, all the accused persons were yet to be properly intimated about the pendency of the criminal action against them, insisting, however, that the federal government was committed to ensuring that all the necessary legal procedures were properly complied with before commencing the trial.

Irked by the seeming unpreparedness of the AGF to prosecute the matter, Justice Okorowo, who was not persuaded by Mrs. Fatunde’s explanations, refused to adjourn the matter as requested but rather washed her hands off the case, saying that she would remit the case-file back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for it to be re-assigned to another Judge whenever the federal government was ready to prosecute the case.

The six accused persons are a former aide to Ex- President Olusegun Obasanjo, Adeyanju Bodunde, George Mark, Hans George Christ, Henry Josef Stock Hausen, Julius Berger Plc and Bilfinger Berger GMBH.

Government had last Friday filed two separate charges against some individuals and corporations for alleged money laundering and allied offences. One of the charges was filed at the Federal High Court, while the other was filed at Abuja High Court.