FOR the third time, the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) for alleged unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering, was stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday.
At the resumption of trial yesterday, Dasuki’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu(SAN) after announcing the appearance of 19 lawyers complained to the court that since December 29 last year, when his client perfected his bail condition, he was promptly rearrested by the operatives of the Department of State Security Services and had since not been allowed to enjoy the bail.
Daudu stated that his application requesting the court to discharge Dasuki from the criminal charges brought against him by the Federal Government should be granted since government was still in contempt of the court order.
In the alternative, Daudu asked the court to strike out the charge and then, decline to indulge the Federal Government in the trial until the government had purged itself of the contempt.
But the counsel to the Federal Government, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), argued that he had filed a counter-affidavit to oppose the request of Dasuki for a discharge of his trial and that it had been served on Dasuki’s lawyer.
In the counter-affidavit, Okpeseyi claimed that Dasuki was being detained because his surety had not perfected the conditions attached to the bail as ordered by the court.
He further said that the DSS in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities rearrested Dasuki for interrogations in respect of other offences.
In his response, Dasuki’s lawyer told the court that the government affidavit had just been served on him and as such, he needed time to respond to some sensitive issues raised in the affidavit.
Daudu then applied to the court to grant him a short adjournment to enable him to reply in writing to the government claims.
In his ruling, Justice Adeniyi Ademola granted adjournment to Dasuki till March 3 in the interest of justice and fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Credit:TheGuardian
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