The lawyer representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, on Tuesday told the court that witnesses coming to testify from the Office of the SGF have been frustrating the trial.
Lawal is facing trial in a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud along with six others in an alleged N544.1 million grass-cutting scandal.
The former SGF, his brother, Hamidu David Lawal, who is a director of Rholavision Engineering Limited; an employee of the company, Sulaiman Abubakar and the Managing Director of Josmon Technologies Limited, Apeh John Monday, are being prosecuted by EFCC before Justice Jude Okeke, of an FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, EFCC’s counsel, Ofem Uket, stated his frustration after leading Aminu Muhammed, a Principal Procurement Officer in the OSGF, who testified as the fourth prosecution witness (PW4) in the case, in evidence.
According to him, 80 percent of the witnesses called by the anti-graft agency so far were from the OSGF, adding that he knew what he was facing from them.
He told the court that the case was adjourned to February 19 at the last sitting on January 23 but had to be rescheduled to today at the instance of the witness.
“I called him last week; he said he was in his village. I called him yesterday in the presence of the IPO yesterday and he said he was in Bauchi.
“The IPO told him that he (IPO) had a tracker which showed that he (witness) was in Abuja. It was then he admitted that he was in Abuja. I only saw him today,” Ufem told the court.
Justice Okeke, however, stated that the court had nothing to say to the complaints raised by the prosecutor.
Meanwhile, the trial has been adjourned to April 8 for continuation of trial.
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