By Ise-Oluwa Ige
ABUJA—Four officials of Bayelsa State government currently facing trial before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over alleged stealing  of N2.5 billion yesterday said they were eager for a speedy trial in order to clear their names.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting the Bayelsa government officials.
The accused persons are

The commission had on March 23, 2010, filed a six count charge against them, but since their arraignment, definite trial until now was yet to commence.

But at the opening of trial yesterday, the quartet who, through their counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, and Sunday Ibrahim Ameh, SAN, expressed keenness to go into trial withdrew their objection to the admissibility of a document sought to be tendered “improperly” in evidence by the counsel prosecuting on behalf of EFCC, Festus Keyamo.

Keyamo had sought to tender the statement made to the EFCC by the 2nd accused person, Clinton Abbot, through his prosecution witness 1, Mr. Adebayo Adeniyi Oluwasegun, but Uche and Ameh objected to the procedure on the premise that it would offend Section 36 [a] of the Evidence Act since he (Oluwasegun) was not incidental to the statement being made.

After a lot of arguments, the Judge, Donatus Okoronkwo, was to adjourn the matter to enable him rule.
But counsel to the accused persons who said they were eager to make progress with the trial had to withdraw the objection after Keyamo had entered an undertaking that he would not rely on any other Investigating Police Officer, IPO, to tender any further evidence.

“My lord, I want to save our time and the time of the court by seeking to tender my exhibits through this witness, who is an IPO. I will not call any other if I am allowed to tender these documents through him,” Keyamo stated.

In response, Uche and Ameh said since Keyamo had entered the undertaking, the accused persons in demonstration of their desire for speedy trial, would withdraw their objection so they could make progress.

Accordingly, the statement sought to be tendered was admitted in evidence after which the police officer recounted steps he took in the course of investigating the case.

Eventually, Keyamo applied for an adjournment, which the court granted. Trial was adjourned to December 14 and 15, 2010, for continuation.