The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has
discharged and acquitted a former Director General of the Nigerian
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi, who was
charged with an alleged fraud of N2.6bn.
In a lead judgment on
Friday by Justice Yargatta Nimpar, a three-man appellate court panel
upheld the no-case submission filed by Akpolokemi in response to the
criminal charges.
The Appeal Court overruled the decision of
Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos, who, on October
16, 2017, dismissed Akpobolokemi’s no-case submission.
The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had, on December 4, 2015,
arraigned Akpobolokemi alongside five others for allegedly diverting
N2.6bn from the coffers of NIMASA between December 2013 and May 2015.
The
funds, the anti-graft agency claimed, were approved by ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan for the implementation of a security project tagged,
“International Ship and Ports Security Code in Nigerian Ports.”
Those
charged alongside Akpobolokemi were Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche,
Governor Juan, Blockz and Stonz Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistics Limited.
The
six defendants had all pleaded not guilty to the 22 charges pressed
against them, following which the EFCC opened its case, calling 12
witnesses and tendering 77 exhibits in a bid to prove the allegation.
Upon
the closure of the EFCC’s case in 2017, all the defendants had filed
no-case submissions, contending that the prosecution failed to establish
a prima facie case against them.
But Justice Buba, in an October 16, 2017 ruling, dismissed their no-case submissions, holding that they had a case to answer.
Justice
Buba had held that, “From the evidence of the first prosecution
witness, it is well established that all the defendants have case to
answer; the exhibits tendered and the testimonies of other witnesses
have established that there is a prima facie case against the
defendants.”
Displeased, however, they all went on appeal and in a
judgment on Friday, June 1, 2018, the Court of Appeal discharged and
acquitted Akpobolokemi of the entire 22 counts.
However, the
five other defendants were not discharged, as the appellate court upheld
Justice Buba’s verdict that they had a case to answer.
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Court Of Appeal Acquits Ex-NIMASA DG, Akpobolokemi
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Court Of Appeal Acquits Ex-NIMASA DG, Akpobolokemi
The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has
discharged and acquitted a former Director General of the Nigerian
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi, who was
charged with an alleged fraud of N2.6bn.
In a lead judgment on
Friday by Justice Yargatta Nimpar, a three-man appellate court panel
upheld the no-case submission filed by Akpolokemi in response to the
criminal charges.
The Appeal Court overruled the decision of
Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos, who, on October
16, 2017, dismissed Akpobolokemi’s no-case submission.
The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had, on December 4, 2015,
arraigned Akpobolokemi alongside five others for allegedly diverting
N2.6bn from the coffers of NIMASA between December 2013 and May 2015.
The
funds, the anti-graft agency claimed, were approved by ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan for the implementation of a security project tagged,
“International Ship and Ports Security Code in Nigerian Ports.”
Those
charged alongside Akpobolokemi were Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche,
Governor Juan, Blockz and Stonz Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistics Limited.
The
six defendants had all pleaded not guilty to the 22 charges pressed
against them, following which the EFCC opened its case, calling 12
witnesses and tendering 77 exhibits in a bid to prove the allegation.
Upon
the closure of the EFCC’s case in 2017, all the defendants had filed
no-case submissions, contending that the prosecution failed to establish
a prima facie case against them.
But Justice Buba, in an October 16, 2017 ruling, dismissed their no-case submissions, holding that they had a case to answer.
Justice
Buba had held that, “From the evidence of the first prosecution
witness, it is well established that all the defendants have case to
answer; the exhibits tendered and the testimonies of other witnesses
have established that there is a prima facie case against the
defendants.”
Displeased, however, they all went on appeal and in a
judgment on Friday, June 1, 2018, the Court of Appeal discharged and
acquitted Akpobolokemi of the entire 22 counts.
However, the
five other defendants were not discharged, as the appellate court upheld
Justice Buba’s verdict that they had a case to answer.
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