A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that a former Minister of Aviation must be tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly mismanaging N5.2 billion.
A former Minister of Aviation, Babalola Borishade will stand trial for allegedly squandering N5.2 billion Aviation Safe Tower Contract. This came as Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar of the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, refused to stop further hearing on a suit filed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against the former Minister of Aviation and four others as prayed by the defendant’s counsel.
Counsel to the first defendant, Kehinde Ogunwumiju and Regina Okotie Eboh representing the 4th and 5th defendants had dragged the EFCC to court to strike out the case for lack of diligence on the part of the prosecution which was strongly opposed by Chile Okoroma, counsel to EFCC.
According to the EFCC, Borishade, his former personal assistant, Tunde Dairo, and two others are alleged to have mismanaged a N5.2 billion Aviation Safe Tower contract. Others on trial for the alleged offence are former Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, Rowland Iyayi; an Australian, George Eider and Avsatel Communications Ltd.
The defendants had been on trial since November 19, 2009 when they were arraigned by the EFCC on a 15-count charge of taking bribe and forging aviation contract documents. The matter which was slated for Wednesday, February 3, 2016 could not go on as planned as the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF requested for a brief on the case by the EFCC since the matter had been in court for about 7 years.
Ruling on the application today, Justice Umar ruled that the application by counsels to the defendants to foreclose or discharge the defendants is refused and ordered the prosecution to continue its case. Thereafter, Okoroma presented PW 10, Reuben Omosigho, an operative with the Economic Governance Unit of the EFCC.
However, Ogunwumiju raised an objection saying that, the evidence of the PW 10 was already on record and needed no duplication, but cross-examination. His objection was sustained by the court. Rather than cross –examine the witness, Ogunwumiju changed tactics and prayed the court for a short adjournment saying their application to be furnished with the court’s records was still pending. Justice Umar adjourned to the March 7, 2016 for continuation of trial.
