Arms probe: FG asks court to revoke Dasuki’s bail

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The Federal Government on Monday asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to revoke the bail granted the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), on September 1, 2015 with respect to the four counts of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms for which he is already being prosecuted.

The Federal Ministry of Justice acting for the Federal Government said it sought the revocation of Dasuki’s bail in order to arrest him and others indicted for alleged embezzlement of $2bn meant for the purchase of arms from 2007 to date.

It said the indictment was contained in the interim report by the Committee Auditing Procurement of Arms/Equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence Sector from 2007 to date which was recently submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Through its application filed last Friday, the Federal Government sought an order remanding the ex-NSA in prison pending his trial.

The application, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent on Monday, sought “An order of this honourable court revoking the bail of the defendant/respondent (FG) granted on September 1, 2015, in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/319/2015 and committing him to prison pending trial.”

Director, Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Diri, told Justice Adeniyi Ademola during the Monday’s proceedings that the continued absence of the accused person in court contravened provisions of section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act which he argued made it mandatory for a defendant to always be present in court for his trial.

In his application seeking the ex-NSA’s bail, Diri said intelligence had revealed that Dasuki was planning to escape justice and tamper with ongoing investigation by taking advantage of the order granted him by the court on November 4 to travel to the United Kingdom on health grounds.

Source: Punch