BEVERLY HILLS, July 8, (THEWILL) – A former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, and 10 others being tried for an alleged fraud of N22.8bn are in talks with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to enter plea bargain with the Federal Government.
Amosu and two other officers of the Airforce, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun and Air Commodore Gbadebo Olugbenga, were arraigned on June 29, 2016 by the EFCC on a 26-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, money laundering, concealing of proceeds of crime and conversion of funds belonging to the Air Force to their personal use before Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The three are being tried alongside eight companies, namely: Delfina Oil and Gas Limited, Mcallan Oil and Gas Limited, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Limited, Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey Limited, Deegee Oil and Gas Limited, Timsegg Investment Limited and Solomon Health Care Limited.
The defendants pleaded not-guilty to the charges and were granted bail of N500m each with two sureties in the like sum by Justice Idris who also ordered them to deposit their passports in the custody of the court pending trial.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that the defendants had begun plea bargain negotiations with the government and tendered a draft copy of the terms of the potential plea bargain before Justice Idris adding that the defendants were already in possession of their copies of the terms.
But the defence counsel, comprising Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN), Mr. Kemi Balogun (SAN), Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) and Mr. A. Etuokwu, opposed the commencement of trial but insisted that the business of the day was for report of compliance with the order of the court regarding the verification of the defendants’ bail conditions.
They argued that though the defendants were the ones who broached the idea of a plea bargain, the accused needed to be out of the EFCC custody first before they would be able to negotiate properly with the prosecution.
But opposing them, Oyedepo argued that it was not the fault of the EFCC that the defendants were still in custody and that the anti-graft agency did not oppose their applications for bail and asked for the trial to commence, noting that he had a witness ready in court.
After hearing both sides, Justice Idris, in a bench ruling, ordered the EFCC to conclude the verification of the defendants’ bail conditions on or before Monday, July 11, 2016.adjourned till September 12 and 13, 2016 for trial.
Story by David Oputah
