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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, November 2, 2020, re-arraigned the former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia before Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja for fraud.
Both were docked on amended 11-count charges, bordering on theft, criminal breach of trust, illegal award of contracts and money laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion.
Today’s arraignment of the defendants followed the Appeal Court’s ruling that the trial of the defendants should be reverted back to Justice Mohammed’s court from that of Justice Okon Abang, whom the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court had reassigned the case to, after the defendants alleged prejudice against them by Justice Mohammed.
With return of the case to the first trial judge, prosecution counsel Adewale Atolagbe, today urged the court to direct all counsels on the matter to work with the court’s registry for the relisting of the exhibits that were already presented in the court before the transfer and for all exhibits not earlier presented to be withdrawn and returned to the prosecution.
In the end, Justice Mohammed directed the court registry to go through the records and sought out the exhibits admitted by the court and to make sure that they are marked accordingly.
He adjourned the matter till December 15, 2020, for continuation of trial.
