SAN FRANCISCO, June 01, (THEWILL) – The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has discharged and acquitted a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi, who was charged with an alleged fraud of N2.6bn.
The three-man appeal court panel also discharged and freed Mr Akpobolokemi on all the 22counts and overruled the decision of Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court Lagos.
In a lead judgment on Friday by Justice Yargatta Nimpar, a three-man appellate court panel upheld the no-case submission filed by Akpolokemi in response to the criminal charges.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had, on December 4, 2015 arraigned Akpobolokemi alongside five others for allegedly diverting N2.6bn from the coffers of NIMASA between December 2013 and May 2015.
The funds, the anti-graft agency claimed, were approved by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for the implementation of a security project tagged, “International Ship and Ports Security Code in Nigerian Ports.”
Those charged with Akpolokemi were Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan, Blockz and Stonz Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistics Limited.
Justice Yargatta Nimpar, who read the lead judgment however held that other defendants who appealed the verdict alongside Akpobolokemi had a case to answer in relation to the charges.
