N12bn Pension Scam: Court Rejects EFCC Plea

The Federal High Court yesterday in Abuja turned down an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for separate trials of 40 suspects jointly charged with siphoning N12 billion Federal Civil Servants pension funds.

A former Director of Pension Administration in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Sani Teidi, and 39 others are standing trial for the missing funds.

In a ruling, Justice Adamu Bello held that such development was inimical to case management.

He said that the prosecution could formally withdraw the charges against the accused to create room for them to be re-arrested and re-arraigned.

“This is the only workable option; however, if EFCC wants to replace the amended charge with another amended charge for separate trial, then the case file will be re-assigned.

“The matter is therefore adjourned to April 23 for the prosecution to do the needful for the trial to go on,” Bello said.

At the resumed hearing in the case, the counsel to the EFCC, Chief Godwin Obla, announced that his client gave him an instruction to further break up the accused persons for separate trial.

“My client has instructed me to withdraw an amended charge dated July 26, 2011 comprising 40 accused persons, to give room for separate trial and good case management.

“We have filed eight sets of charges pursuant to this instruction and would be humbly applying for permission to substitute the earlier charges with the one filed on March 14.

“The application is brought pursuant to sections 155 and 168 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA).

“My Lord, this is to reflect the extent of the alleged complicity and participation of the related parties,” Obla said.

Chief Uche Chris (SAN) and Mr Sunday Ameh (SAN) led other defendants’ counsel in the matter to oppose the application.

They said that the move would erode the progress so far made in the case.

According to them, the former charges should be left to stand as each accused person understands the allegation against him or her.

Our correspondent recalls that the accused were first arraigned on March 24, 2011, for allegedly defrauding the pension department, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, of N12 billion pension funds.

They were arraigned on a 134-count charge.