The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, re-arraigned four suspects – Mahmud Tukur, Alex Ochonogor, Abdullahi Alao and Eternal Plc – before Justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on a nine- count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.
Mahmud, one of the suspects is the son of the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bamanga Tukur, while Abdullahi is the son of a prominent Ibadan-based businessman, Abdullazeez Arikesola-Alao.
The accused persons were first arraigned on July 26, 2012 before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who was later transferred to another division of the court.
The suspects are accused of unlawfully obtaining the sum of N1.8 billion from the federal government through the Petroleum Support Fund.
All the four accused had pleaded not guilty before Justice Onigbanjo to all the charges preferred against them and had requested for more time to discuss with the EFCC regarding the charges preferred against them.
The trial judge acceded to their request and also ordered the EFCC to release the international travelling documents of Tukur and Ochonogor to enable them travel to the United Kingdom and France for business purposes.
In view of their pleas, prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, quickly called the attention of the court to the preliminary injunction filed by three of the accused persons -Mahmud Tukur, Ochonogor Alex and Eterna Plc- challenging the validity of the charges against them.
However, Justice Akapo urged the EFCC counsel to liaise with the court registrar to identify the processes previously filed and the arguments canvassed by both parties to enable the judge acquaint himself with the case and prepare for the next hearing.
He subsequently adjourned the case to February 24, 2014 for argument on the bail applications.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, re-arraigned four suspects – Mahmud Tukur, Alex Ochonogor, Abdullahi Alao and Eternal Plc – before Justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on a nine- count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.
The accused persons were first arraigned on July 26, 2012 before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who was later transferred to another division of the court.
The suspects are accused of unlawfully obtaining the sum of N1.8 billion from the federal government through the Petroleum Support Fund.
All the four accused had pleaded not guilty before Justice Onigbanjo to all the charges preferred against them and had requested for more time to discuss with the EFCC regarding the charges preferred against them.
The trial judge acceded to their request and also ordered the EFCC to release the international travelling documents of Tukur and Ochonogor to enable them travel to the United Kingdom and France for business purposes.
In view of their pleas, prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, quickly called the attention of the court to the preliminary injunction filed by three of the accused persons -Mahmud Tukur, Ochonogor Alex and Eterna Plc- challenging the validity of the charges against them.
However, Justice Akapo urged the EFCC counsel to liaise with the court registrar to identify the processes previously filed and the arguments canvassed by both parties to enable the judge acquaint himself with the case and prepare for the next hearing.
He subsequently adjourned the case to February 24, 2014 for argument on the bail applications