Lai’s Court Appearance stalled – TheNigerialawyer

The on-going trial of the Director General of the National
Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, by the
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC) over an alleged abuse of office and money laundering has
been stalled by the absence in court of the Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Alhaji Mohammed was scheduled to appear before a Federal High
Court, Abuja, on October 2, as a prosecution witness to explain his
role in the alleged misapplication of N2.5 billion Federal
Government Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme.

ICPC had filed a 12-count charge before Justice Folashade
Ogunbanjo-Giwa, against Kawu, Lucky Omoluwa and Dipo Onifade, the
Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Pinnacle Communications
Limited respectively, saying that the NBC director general misled
the Minister into approving government funds to a private
company.

Mohammed had admitted in a statement to the Commission that he
was misled by Kawu, as opined in court by a witness from ICPC,
Osanato Olugbemi.

However, at the resumed hearing, counsel to the Commission,
Henry Emore informed the court that the Minister was unavoidably
absent because of an urgent national assignment.

He said, “I have been in court since 9am. I called the Personal
Assistant to the witness and he said that he was unavailable due to
an urgent assignment.”

Emore, before asking for a new date to bring the Minister,
prayed the court to subpoena a second witness, a Bureau de Change
operator, Sabo Shuaibu, who had repeatedly failed to attend court
despite numerous invitations put to him.

Justice Ogunbanjo-Giwa granted the subpoena and advised
prosecution counsel to be mindful of the five adjournments allowed
by the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, having used up
three already.

The trial judge also ordered the release of the international
passport of Kawu, to enable him attend the World
Radio-Communication Conference (WRC 19) taking place in Egypt.

His counsel, A. U. Mustapha (SAN) had filed an application
praying the court to allow the NBC boss to travel to the Sharm
El-Sheik venue of the conference scheduled to hold from 28th
October to 22nd November, 2019.

The judge further ruled that Kawu’s international passport must
be returned to the court Registrar upon his return from Egypt on or
before 30th November, 2019.

Kawu was also told to depose to an affidavit before the court
stating that his surety must agree to be detained by security
agencies if he fails to return for his trial and that the said
surety must also surrender his international passport to the court
in place of Kawu’s.

The matter was then adjourned to 21st October and 3rd, 4th and
5th December, for continuation of trial.