The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission closed its case against media mogul, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, and his Daar Investment and Holdings Company Limited, after the 14th prosecution witness testified on Monday.
An operative of the EFCC, Mr. Usman Aliyu, testified as the prosecution’s 14th witness, narrating to the court the outcome of his “analysis” of the N2.1bn allegedly paid fraudulently to Dokpesi and Daar by the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2015 and how the businessman expended the money on personal affairs.
The witness was led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe, and later cross-examined by the lead defence lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN).
Shortly after the witness was cross-examined, Atolagbe told the judge, Justice John Tsoho, said that was the end of the prosecution’s case.
In response, Agabi said he would file a no-case submission on behalf of his clients.
Filing a no-case submission implies that the defendants want the court to dismiss the charges preferred against them on the grounds that the prosecution has failed to lead any evidence linking them to the alleged crimes.
Justice Tsoho, before adjourning the matter on Monday, directed the defence to file their no-case submission within 21 days.
The judge also gave the prosecution the same number of days from the day they are served to respond to the defendants’ application.
He also directed that the defendants would have 14 days to further reply from the day they are served with the prosecution’s response to the no-case submission.
He then adjourned until October 4 for the adoption of the written addresses by the two sides.
The EFCC had charged Dokpesi and Daar Investment with money laundering and procurement fraud involving the sum of N2.1bn which they allegedly received from ONSA between January and March 2015.
Dokpesi and Daar Investment were said to have received the sum of N2.1bn from NSA office while being headed by Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) as payment for a “purported contract on presidential media initiative”.
The prosecution alleged that Dokpesi and his firm received the sum of N2.1bn from ONSA to prosecute the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2015 presidential media campaign.
The prosecution also alleged that the payment was in breach of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, and the EFCC (Establishment) Act.
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