A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Tuesday, quashed a criminal charge preferred against a former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu, and two others, over alleged N21.5 billion money laundering.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) first arraigned Mr Amosu, a retired air marshall, alongside two other military officers: Jacob Adigun, and Gbadebo Olugbenga, before Justice Mohammad Idris, on 29 June 29 2016, on a 26-count charge.
The defendants had respectively pleaded not guilty and were each granted bail.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Chukwujeku Aneke upheld the defendant’s preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case on the grounds that they were serving officers of the military at the time the case was instituted.
The court noted that as of 23 June 23 2016 when the original charge was filed before the court, one was not sure whether the first defendant was still a serving officer of the armed forces, since his exact date of retirement was not stated.
The court, however, held that the proof of evidence filed by the prosecution in paragraphs 1688 and 1695 contained letters written by the prosecution to First City Monument Bank dated 30 January 2015.
The court held that the letters showed that investigations into the instant charge had already begun as of 30 January 2015, by which time the affidavit evidence proved that the first defendant was still in service of the armed forces
Reiterating the decision of the apex court in the case of Ja’faru Mohammed, the court held that the investigation of the first defendant was null and void.
“Therefore, the investigation of the defendant, the original charge, the amended charge and the arraignment, which are all based on the illegal, null and void investigation, are equally null and void.
“Accordingly, prayers one, two and three sought by the first defendant in his motion on notice dated May 21, 2023, and filed June 1, 2023, are hereby granted,” he held.
The court also reached a similar decision for the second and third defendants, and accordingly, quashed the charges.
In the charge, the defendants were alleged to have committed the offence on 5 March 2014 in Lagos.
The prosecution alleged that they conspired to convert N21.5 billion belonging to the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) to their use.
The commission said that the defendants reasonably ought to know that the funds formed part of the proceeds of their unlawful activities namely criminal breach of trust.
The offence, it said, contravened the provisions of section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that shortly after the trial commenced, Justice Mohammed Idris was elevated to the appellate court and the case was transferred to Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke.
The defendants were consequently, re-arraigned in 2018, on an amended 13-count charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
They had each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail.
On 1 June 2023, the first defence counsel, Bolaji Ayorinde, filed a notice of preliminary objection and an affidavit of six paragraphs, challenging the jurisdiction of the court and urging it to quash the amended charge.
Defence counsel had first argued that the grounds upon which the defendants were charged took place in Abuja, and so, the court lacked the requisite territorial jurisdiction to hear the charge.
He had cited the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Dele Belgore and others.
The defence had also argued that the first defendant was at all times material to the trial, a serving officer of the armed forces, who is subject to the trial by a court martial.
Besides, he had argued that sections 16 and 18(a) of the Money Laundering Act 2011 (as amended), did not create the offence of criminal breach of trust for which the defendants were charged.
Also relying on an appeal court decision in the case of Brigadier General Ja’faru Mohammed vs EFCC Chairman and others, the defence had argued:
“That the court had held that the said offences in that case, were triable by a “court martial ” by virtue of section 114 of the Armed Forces Act, as they formed part of other civil offences prescribed for persons subject to service law”.
He had argued that the first defendant was at all times material to the instant trial, not just a serving officer but also the Chief of Air Staff and was subject only to the provisions of the service law, with regards to arrest, invitation, interview or investigation.
He also argued that section 123 of the Armed Forces Act 2004 was elucidated upon by the Supreme Court in the case of Sogbesan where the court held among others, that :
“A report of an allegation of an offence against an officer of the Armed Forces must be made to his commanding officer, who must investigate it in the prescribed manner, before the allegation is further proceeded on.”
He had argued that the above, are steps that ought to be first taken before the other legal steps.
The defence had, therefore, raised a sole issue for determination:
“Whether the EFCC can arrest, arraign, and prosecute the first defendant, who was at all times material to trial, a serving military officer, without first complying with the provisions of section 114, 121, 123, and 270 of the Armed Forces Act, 2004.
If the answer to the above is in the negative, the defence had then prayed the court to determine, whether the prosecution of the defendant is not “ultra vires” the powers of the EFCC and therefore, null and void.
He had also urged the court to determine whether it is properly “clothed” with the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the charge.
The other defence counsel, Norrison Quakers, had also made similar submissions before the court in urging it to quash the charge against the defendants.
On 3 July 2023, the EFCC filed a counter affidavit against the defendants’ objection and raised an issue for determination as to whether the defence was entitled to the reliefs sought.
(NAN)
