Court slates July 14 to rule on application to review devices in Ex-NNPC GMD’s N9.8m trial

A Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday adjourned till July 14, 2021, to rule on the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to play the content of Compacts Disk and Memory Cards, both recorded exhibits, in the $9.8 million money laundering trial of the former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Andrew Yakubu.

The former NNPC boss is standing trial before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges, bordering on money laundering brought against him by the EFCC).

He is accused of receiving an aggregate sum of $9,772,800 and £74,000 without going through a financial institution.

Yakubu, who was originally arraigned on a six-count charge on March 16, 2017, filed a no-case submission, which was thrown out by the trial court and the Court of Appeal, in its decision, struck out four of the counts leaving only counts there and four.

When the matter came up on Wednesday for cross-examination of the defendant, counsel to the EFCC, Farouk Abdullah sought leave of the Court to play the contents of exhibits M, N and N1, which were the Compact Disks and Memory Cards earlier admitted in evidence in 2018.

But defence counsel, Ahmed Raji, (SAN) objected to the request, stating that the defendant was not the maker of the contents of the devices.

Raji said, “My Lord, a document must be demonstrated by the maker otherwise, it is deemed as dumped.”

He further explained that “allowing the application will be going contrary to the ruling of the Court of Appeal on 24th April 2020, which ruled that trial should continue here in this Court for the purpose of the defendant explaining himself on counts three and four of the charges preferred against him and not bringing up new evidence”.

Counsel to the anti-graft agency countered the submission of the SAN, stating that the exhibits were earlier admitted in court and stand tenable.

He added that the Court of Appeal did not mandate the maker to demonstrate the evidence, but for any party relying on the exhibit provided.

After listening to arguments by counsel, the trial judge adjourned the matter till July 14, 2021, for ruling and continuation of trial.

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