An FCT High Court, in Maitama, on Monday, rejected uncertified
documents sought to be tendered by the Economic and Financial Crime
Commission (EFCC) in the trial of ex- Secretary to the Government
of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal.
The EFCC arraigned Lawal, along side his brother Hamidu, a
director of Rholavision Engineering Limited; an employee of the
company, Sulaiman Abubakar and the Managing Director of Josmon
Technologies Limited, Apeh Monday.
They are charged with 10 count bordering on conspiracy and
fraud.
Also joined are two companies, Rholavision Engineering Limited
and Josmon Technologies Limited.
Justice Jude Okeke ruling on the admissibilty of the documents
held that the essence of certification was to ensure accuracy of
documents tendered in evidence.
He said that although the prosecutor attached the uncertified
documents into the bundle of original documents ” It is the duty of
the court to examine them to know whether there are admissible.
”
” I have examined the bundle of the documents and it consisted
of original documents with attachments of uncertified ones, a total
of 17 documents.
” The documents are bearing different dates besides this it’s
also numbered as different exhibits, the mere act that there are
stapled together does not make them one document ” he held.
He said for a public document to be admissible it must accord
with the provision of section 104 of Evidence Act, 2011.
He then admitted seven original documents and rejected 10
uncertified ones.
Okeke adjourned until June 18 for contuination of trial.
On May 23, Mr O.Uzor councel for fifth defendant objected when
the prosecuting counsel, Mr Ufom Uket, sought to tender the
documents.
There are payment vouchers raised by PINE for payments to both
Josmon Technologies Limited and Rholavision Engineering Limited
respectively, through the first prosecution witness (PW1), Hamza
Adamu.
Uzor stated that while the vouchers were in the original copies,
the other documents attached to them were photocopies, which were
not certified.
According to him, the documents were public documents and that
there were procedures for tendering such, as contained in Section
104 of the Evidence Act.
Responding to this, Uket informed the court that the vouchers
were in the original form, adding that memos raised on the
vouchers, were attached with the vouchers.
He prayed the court to admit them, saying that each of the
vouchers and the attachments were to be seen one document.
The EFCC accused the former SGF of benefiting illegally from the
approval of N544,119,925.36, for the removal of invasive plant
species and simplified irrigation.
They alleged that Lawal being the SGF and Hamidu Lawal, director
of Rholavision Engineering Limited and Abubakar, staff, about March
7, 2016 at Abuja, conspired to commit the offence.
The EFCC further alleged that the defendants fraudulently
acquired a property, contrary to Section 26 (1) (c) of the Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that the former SGF knowingly
held indirectly a private interest in the consultancy contract
awarded to Rholavision Engineering Limited, for the removal of
invasive plant species and simplified irrigation to the tune of N7
million and N6.4 million.
EFCC claimed that it was done through the Presidential
Initiative for North East (PINE).
It further alleged that on March 4 and Aug. 22, 2016, contract
for removing evasive grass worth N272.5 million and N258.1 million
respectively were awarded to Josmon Technologies Limited, but was
executed by Rholavision.
The offence, according to the EFCC, were contrary to Section 12
of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
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2000 Persons Benefited for FG medical Outreach
C/River
Not less than 2,000 people in the Niger Delta region have
benefited from the Federal Government’s free medical outreach at
Nko, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State over the
weekend.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Aminu Aliyu
Bisalla, represented by the Director Community Development and
Education in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Mrs Lauren
Braide, said the 3-day event was part of the Ministry’s
sensitization and enlightenment campaign programme on
HIV/AIDS, Rollback Malaria, Cancer and Eye care in the Niger Delta
region.
The Permanent Secretary called on stakeholders and
Non-governmental organisations to support the Federal Government’s
efforts at meeting the health needs of the people of the oil-rich
Niger Delta region.
“The turnout is quite beyond our expectations, we will ensure
that very serious cases will be given referrers where
necessary,” he added..
Bisalla reiterated that similar events had taken place in some
states of the region, Ondo, Edo, and Akwa Ibom saying that
Delta and Bayelsa States were captured as the beneficiaries of
the ongoing exercise.
The Permanent secretary hinted that the sorry state of the
Community Health Centre at Nko had been noted, adding that
necessary steps would be taken to upgrade the facility.
The event witnessed free eye surgery of over 100 people,
children and the elderly, free test and distribution of drugs
for people suffering from malaria, diabetes, high blood
pressure and those living with HIV/AIDS, as more than 2,000 people
received free eye glasses and drugs, after being tested by medical
personnels..
In his remarks, the traditional ruler of Nko community, His
Royal Majesty, Obel Effifiom Ayomobi expressed gratitude to the
Federal Government in attending to the medical needs of the people
of the Niger Delta region, especially the people of Nko and its
environs, saying, “A country where everybody is sick is not a
country.”
His Royal Majesty then prayed God to give President Muhammadu
Buhari more opportunities to consolidate the feats he had recorded
in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria in general.
Earlier, the leader of the facilitators of the medical outreach,
Dr. Kamal Umar said his team was able to carry out effective
treatments for the various ailments discovered on the people in the
course of the exercise due to the cooperation of the people of the
community. He added that all the eye surgeries carried out were
successful and many who had almost lost their sights got them
restored and they were happy.
One of the beneficiaries of the eye surgery, Retired Sergeant
Ibor Ibor Enang expressed happiness that his 22 years of suffering
was put to an end with the Ministry of Niger Delta’s free eye
surgery.
Stephen Kilebi
Deputy Director (Press)