Tobias Sylvester
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has discharged and acquitted a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and five others of N544million grass-cutting contract fraud.
Court Discharges Babachir Lawal In N544m Fraud Case
KanyiDaily recalls that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Lawal alongside Hamidu David Lawal, his younger brother; Sulaiman Abubakar; Apeh John Monday and two companies, Rholavision Engineering Ltd and Josmon Technologies Ltd.
They were re-arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on diversion of funds, criminal conspiracy, and official corruption to the tune of N544 million.
The defendants were, among other things, alleged to have connived and illegally diverted a contract the Presidential Initiative for North East, PINE, awarded for the removal of grasses in Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps, to his own company.
In his ruling on Friday, November 18, the judge, Justice Charles Agbaza held that the EFCC failed woefully to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.
The court upheld the defendants’ no-case- submission, adding that no ingredient of any offence was made out by the 11 witnesses presented by the prosecution.
The Judge held that EFCC did not establish that Lawal was either a member of the presidential initiative for north-east (PINE) who awarded the contract, or a member of the ministerial tenders board that vetted and approved the contract.
The judge further held that the EFCC failed to link Lawal with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which issued a certificate of no objection to the contract before it was awarded.
Consequently, the defendants were discharged and acquitted on all counts.
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