N557m fraud: Court adjourns for report on Ehindero’s appeal

[Mirror]

A Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court has adjourned till November 20 hearing in a case instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, against former Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero.

The trial judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, adjourned the hearing after the briefing by prosecuting counsel, Paul Ameh Basi, on the status of Ehindero's appeal before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.

Basi said parties were before the Appeal Court on June 19 but the matter was not listed for hearing on the said date, as the court said it was only taking matters that were ripe for hearing.

He said: "November 11 has been fixed for the hearing of the 1st accused appeal...

"In the light of this, counsel have agreed to apply for adjournment of the matter, till hearing of the appeal... to show courtesy to the Court of Appeal."

Counsel to the accused, C. S. Ekeocha and E. A. Tella, corroborated Basi's position.

But Tella sought an indefinite adjournment, which the ICPC countered.

Upon the submissions, Oniyangi adjourned till November 20, "for report on the appeal before the Court of Appeal".

The ICPC is prosecuting Ehindero alongside his then Commissioner of Police in charge of Budget, Mr. John Obaniyi, for allegedly conspiring between the months of May and November 2006, in their capacities as IGP and Commissioner of Police in charge of budget, respectively, to defraud the Nigeria Police of N557 million.

The anti-graft body claimed that the money represented donation from the Bayelsa State Government to the police.

In his notice of appeal, the former IGP contended that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to try him, safe for the fact that only a Federal High Court had the inherent jurisdiction to entertain an offence, such as being alleged by the prosecution.

Ehindero further predicated his appeal on the grounds that the proof of evidence from where the prosecution derived its legal competence to put him to trial, failed to disclose any reasonable cause of action.

National Mirror