THE Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission has described as “unfortunate” that the Supreme Court set
aside the court judgment that jailed former chairman of the board of
Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Olabode George and five former members. The five directors of the NPA whose
sentensing was also quashed are Aminu Dabo, Captain Oluwasegun Abidoye,
Alhaji Abdullahi Tafida, Alhaji Zanna Maidaribe and Sule Aliyu, an
Engineer.
The apex court discharged and acquitted
them of corruption, inflation of contracts and contracts splitting, for
which they had been convicted after prosecution by the anti-graft
agency. George, a Peoples Democratic Party
chieftain, was the NPA chairman between 2001 and 2003 when the alleged
offences were said to have been committed.
The EFCC also rejected an Abuja High
Court judgment, which acquitted former Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; and two others. The two others are Atine Jubrin and
Ismail Iro who are former Director-General and former General Manager of
the Abuja Geographic Information System, respectively. In a statement entitled, “EFCC’s
position on court judgments,” the EFCC Acting Head, Media and Publicity,
Wilson Uwujaren, said the agency was saddened by the two judgments.
The statement read, “The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission note with concern two separate decisions by
court on December 13, 2013 in cases investigated by the Commission.
“The first was the acquittal of former
Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Olabode George and five
others by the Supreme Court. The other was the acquittal of former
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and two
other by a Federal Capital Territory High Court.
“Without going into the merit or
otherwise of the Supreme court ruling, it is unfortunate that the apex
court disagreed with the decision of the two lower courts- the Lagos
High Court and the Court of Appeal- which upheld the conviction of the
accused persons based on the evidence presented by the Commission.”
The anti-graft commission said it would appeal the decision in el-Rufai’s case.
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