A’Court Quashes N2.1bn Fraud Charges Against Dokpesi

It was a special Easter gift for the founder of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, as the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, yesterday, quashed the N2.1billion money laundering charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The appellate court upheld the no-case submission made by Dokpesi and DAAR Communications charged along with him in the seven-count criminal charge.
In a judgment in an appeal filed by his counsel and a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Kanu Agabi (SAN); Justice Elfreda Oyebisi Williams-Dawodu held that the EFCC failed woefully to establish prima facie case against the appellant in all the charges.
Justice Williams-Dawodu further held that the ingredients of the offences were not provided by the prosecution as required by law.
The appellate court agreed with Agabi that being a predicate offence, the ingredients of the offences against the appellant must be clearly provided; adding that it is clear that none of the offences was established in line with provisions of law.
The court further held that EFCC failed to prove that the N2.1billion allegedly received by the appellant as payment was proceed of breach of trust.
A Federal High Court, Abuja had in November, 2018, dismissed the no-case submission filed by the AIT founder on the grounds that a prima facie had been successful established against him by the EFCC in the alleged N2.1billion money laundering.
The current Chief Judge of the court, Justice John Tsoho, had after the ruling, ordered Dokpesi to open his defense on the grounds that he had some explanations to offer in the charges against him.
However, dissatisfied with the ruling of the high court, Dokpesi approached the Appeal Court, and prayed that the ruling of the lower court made against him be set aside and his no case submission be upheld.