*EFCC files fresh charge against him, 2 others
*His trial political, says CPC

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA – A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja, yesterday, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to remand a former Minister of Works, Dr. Hassan Muhammad Lawal, and his alleged accomplice, Dr. Adeogba Godwin Ademola, in prison custody, pending the consideration of their bail applications.

Trial Justice Bilkisu Aliyu made the order shortly after the duo took turns and pleaded “not guilty” to a 23-count criminal charge preferred against them and six companies by the anti-graft agency.

Though the EFCC initially listed five persons and eleven companies for arraignment it, however, relied on provisions of Section 162 of the Criminal Procedure Act, to make an oral application for expulsion of names of eight of the accused persons from the charge-sheet, saying they were presently at large.

Counsel to the embattled ex-minister, Mr. M.A Magaji, had earlier objected to the trial contending that not only was his client denied adequate time and facility to prepare his defence as provided for in section 36 (1) (a) (b) of the 1999 constitution as amended, but that he was served with a copy of the charge sheet around 10pm on Tuesday.

Withdrawal of objection

He, however, withdrew his objection after other defence counsel in the matter distanced themselves from his submissions, thereby warranting the trial judge to give her approval nod for the available accused persons to enter their plea yesterday.

Whereas two of the accused companies, Nairda Ltd and Siraj Nigeria Ltd, had their foreign representatives in the dock when the charges were read to them, the trial judge, however, entered plea of not guilty for the remaining corporate entities, Digital Toll company, Swede Control Intertek Ltd, Proman Vital Ventures Ltd and Wise Health Services Ltd, after the second accused person, Ademola, declined to stand as their representative.

Those struck-out from the charge sheet were, Okala Phillip Yakubu, Thahal Paul, Peb 04 Nig. Ltd, Lassa Ltd; Odomac Nig. LTI, Hillel Gilboa, Geographical Information System, GIS and Dave Enejoh, just as the initial 25_count charge was pruned to 23.

The EFCC alleged that the ex-minister connived with the other accused persons to defraud the Federal Government of about N75.7 billion through plethora of fictitious contracts, adding that not only did they conspire amongst themselves and short_changed the government, they also attempted to conceal the illicit origin of huge sums of monies traced to their individual accounts.

Perpetuation of fraud

The anti-graft agency insisted that the fraud which it said was perpetuated between 2006 and 2009, contravened section 17 (1) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004, and was punishable under section 14 (1) of the same Act.

The former minister was equally accused of conspiring with the companies and allegedly made attempts to defraud the governments of Kogi, Nassarawa, as well as diverted monies and converted properties of the Federal Government within the two states for personal use.

Shortly after their arraignment, counsel to the ex-minister made an oral application for his bail pending the hearing and determination of the substantive charge against him, an appeal that was declined by the trial Judge who vowed not to release any of the accused persons until a formal bail application was filed before her, maintaining that the charge against them was too weighty to be handled with levity.

Application seeking the remand of the accused persons in EFCC custody was vehemently opposed by the prosecuting counsel who told the court that their detention facility was grossly over-crowded, insisting that the best place to keep them was in prison custody until the consideration of their bail.

EFCC’s request was accordingly granted by the court which ordered that they should be remanded in prison custody, just as it also adjourned the case till June 6 and 7 for definite hearing.

Barely few minutes after the matter was adjourned, the anti-graft agency made attempts to arraign the ex_minister and two others, Aisha Okugboye and Adesonya Adewole, over another 10-count criminal charge, a move that was resisted by the trial Judge who fixed May 17 to take their plea on the fresh matter.

Meantime, chieftains of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, who besieged the court room to show solidarity to their member, Lawal, yesterday, alleged that his trial was politically motivated.

Lawal, ex-works minister

CPC accuses govt of witchhunting

Briefing newsmen at the end of the proceeding, National Publicity Secretary of CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said the accused person’s current ordeal was not unconnected with the active role he played towards ensuring that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lost the recently concluded gubernatorial election to the CPC in Nasarawa State.

Fashakin said: “We do not support corruption neither do we support witch-hunting or unnecessary vendetta. We know the role the first accused person played in the enthronement of CPC in Nasarawa state and the fact that the incumbent governor was enraged over it and vowed to get at him by all means.

“Though this trial was earlier slated for May 17, he was hurriedly arrested and brought to court today (yesterday). We are not perturbed as we know that eventually justice will prevail. He, however, said we want to tell our supporters to be ready for more tribulations to come.

“Our resolve to subject all the ballot papers used in the recently concluded presidential election, to an intense scrutiny at the election tribunal, is making some persons jittery. Consequently, we are expecting more persecution and unprovoked tribulations ahead.”

Some of the charges against them read thus:
“That you, Dr. Adeogba Godwin Ademola ‘m’ while being the Managing Director of Swede Control Intertek Limited, and Swede Control Intertek Limited, sometimes between 2006 and 2009, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, conspired to fraudulently obtain, with intent to convert, the sum of N24,360,000 (Twenty-four billion, three hundred and sixty million.