The ongoing trial of the embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki has again been stalled due to his absence in court, which was said to have been as a result of his ill health.
The trial had at the previous sitting, been also stalled due his absence before Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf of a Federal Capital Territory High Court after the Department of State Service failed to provide him in court.
Rotimi Jacobs SAN, the prosecuting counsel at the resumption of trial, informed the the trial court thathe contacted the Director legal services of the DSS on why Dasuki was not produced the previous day, but was told it was an oversight.
“I made series of effort to contact him again today when i noticed the defendant was not in court, but when i could not reach him, i called my client (EFCC) who informed me that the defendant said he will not come today because he was indisposed”, he told the court before pleading for another adjournment.
Joseph Daudu SAN, counsel representing Dasuki averred that based on what the prosecutor said, it is a fundamental issue because the court was at the adjournment ordered that the defendant be produced in court, he however did not object to the application for adjournment even though he noted that he does not know where the defendant is being kept.
Akin Olujimi SAN, counsel representing the third defendant also said that : “I find it very irritating that somebody would tell the prosecutor that the reason for not producing him yesterday was an oversight, without an apology being tendered”.
While not objecting to the adjournment, he urged the court to direct those who are keeping him in custody, that they are liable to their responsibility to the court and must produce him on the next adjourned date.
Justice Baba-Yusuf subsequently adjourned the matter to July 11 and 12, 2017 for trial while he warned the DSS not to take the court’s proceedings lightly.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Dasuki on a 19-counts charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust alongside a former Director of Finance at the office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa for alleged diversion of N13.6billion.
SEYI ANJORIN, Abuja
