Alleged N2.5b Fraud: Appeal Court dismiss Kawu’s appeal

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, has dismissed the appeal filed by
the suspended Director-General of the National Broadcasting
Commission (NBC), Ishaq Kawu which challenged the decision of the
Federal High Court, to dismiss the no case submission he filed at
the lower court.

Kawu, Mr. Lucky Omoluwa (late Chairman of Pinnacle
Communications Ltd) and Dipo Onifade, Chief Operating Officer of
the same company, were jointly charged before Justice Folashade
Ogunbanjo-Giwa, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly paying the sum of
N2.5 billion seed grant for the Digital Switch-Over (DSO) project
to Pinnacle Communications Limited.

ICPC, in a 12-count charge, arraigned them for abuse of office,
money laundering and misleading a public officer with the intent to
defraud the Federal Government, in contravention of Sections 26 (1)
(c) and punishable under the Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices
and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Kawu, through his counsel, A. U. Mustapha (SAN) filed a no case
submission in December, 2019 at the close of the prosecution’s
case, praying the court to discharge and acquaint him of the charge
brought against him by ICPC.

Justice Ogunbanjo-Giwa while delivering her ruling in February
2020, held that ICPC had established a prima facie against Kawu,
Onifade and Pinnacle Communications Limited, and ruled that they
have a case to answer.

The suspended NBC boss and his co-accused then approached the
appellate court to upturn the judgment of the Federal High
Court.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, in its ruling, dismissed the no case
submission filed by Kawu and his co-accused and held that they had
an explanation to give when he elected to facilitate the payment of
N2.5 billion to a private company against the provisions of Section
13 of the government white paper guiding the operation of the
Digital Switch-Over programme.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, has dismissed the appeal filed by
the suspended Director-General of the National Broadcasting
Commission (NBC), Ishaq Kawu which challenged the decision of the
Federal High Court, to dismiss the no case submission he filed at
the lower court.

Kawu, Mr. Lucky Omoluwa (late Chairman of Pinnacle
Communications Ltd) and Dipo Onifade, Chief Operating Officer of
the same company, were jointly charged before Justice Folashade
Ogunbanjo-Giwa, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly paying the sum of
N2.5 billion seed grant for the Digital Switch-Over (DSO) project
to Pinnacle Communications Limited.

ICPC, in a 12-count charge, arraigned them for abuse of office,
money laundering and misleading a public officer with the intent to
defraud the Federal Government, in contravention of Sections 26 (1)
(c) and punishable under the Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices
and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Kawu, through his counsel, A. U. Mustapha (SAN) filed a no case
submission in December, 2019 at the close of the prosecution’s
case, praying the court to discharge and acquaint him of the charge
brought against him by ICPC.

Justice Ogunbanjo-Giwa while delivering her ruling in February
2020, held that ICPC had established a prima facie against Kawu,
Onifade and Pinnacle Communications Limited, and ruled that they
have a case to answer.

The suspended NBC boss and his co-accused then approached the
appellate court to upturn the judgment of the Federal High
Court.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, in its ruling, dismissed the no case
submission filed by Kawu and his co-accused and held that they had
an explanation to give when he elected to facilitate the payment of
N2.5 billion to a private company against the provisions of Section
13 of the government white paper guiding the operation of the
Digital Switch-Over programme.