Former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Nasir el-Rufai’s acquittal by an Abuja High Court in a case of land grabbing might only be temporary as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Sunday it will challenge the decision of the court just as it described the Supreme Court ruling on Chief Olabode George as “unfortunate”.
The EFCC lamented that Mr. el-Rufai was cleared of all the charges brought against him despite what it said is “the weight of the evidence presented by the Commission in court”.
A spokesperson for the anti-graft commission, Wilson Uwajeren in a statement yesterday said, “Consequently, the EFCC has resolved to pursue an appeal against the ruling at the Court of Appeal”.
Mr. El-Rufai, who was then a Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain but now a leading member of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, was cleared of charges of allegedly using his position as FCT minister from 2003-2007 to revoke a plot of land from its previous owners – Power Holding Company of Nigeria Plc – and re-award same to his wife – Hadiza Ahmed – and associates, contrary to the Corrupt and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The former minister, alongside Altine Jibrin, former director-general of the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and its former General Manager, Ismaila Iro, were first arraigned in 2008 and later re-arraigned on an amended eight-count charge in April 2011.
In his ruling Friday, the court presided over by Justice Sadiq Umar held that the evidence provided by the prosecution were flawed and filled with material contradictions hence a prima facie case case could not be established against the former minister and his co-accused.
On Mr. George, a former national vice-chairman of PDP (South) and former chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), whose October 2009 conviction was nullified by the Supreme Court, the EFCC expressed dismay over the development but said it would abide by the ruling.
Mr. George and five others were convicted by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of the Lagos High Court after being found guilty in an N84 billion fraud filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The PDP chieftain was subsequently sentenced to 30 months in prison and was released in 2011.
But the apex court ruled that the former NPA boss’ conviction was wrong since the offence he was convicted for – contract splitting – was not yet a crime in 2009. He was freed alongside five others, who were members of the NPA board.
The others are Aminu Dabo, Captain O. Abidoye, Alh. Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, Alh. Zanna Maideribe and Sule Aliyu.
But the commission said in its statement that “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 commission said while the order nullifying the conviction was “saddening”, it will abide by the law and respect the ruling.
AUCTION! AUCTION!! AUCTION!!!
SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY THIS SEASON AND BE PROUD YOU DID IN TIME TO COME.
WE ARE USING THIS MEDIUM TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE AUCTION SALES OF CARS
CURRENTLY GOING ON HERE IN NIGERIA;
IT HAS BEEN ON AIR FOR SOME TIME NOW AND HAS BEEN ADVERTISED ALL OVER THE NATION,
IN SOME LOCAL STATIONS,WEBSITE, AND NEWSPAPERS.AND IT IS NO FRAUD.
You can also make a request for the vehicle you
wish to purchase and also make budget for any vehicle, we shall call
you back to inform you about it.
we deliver all over the 36States in Nigeria
DIRECT CLEAN TOKUNBO CARS FOR SALE AT
A CHEAPER PRICES YOU CAN ALWAYS TRUST.
FOR MORE ENQUIRESContact:
CUSTOM BALOGUN ON 08068690873.
CAR FEATURES BELOW
Toyota avalon #450,000
Acura MDX #750,000
Acura ZDX #800,000
Audi A4 #550,000
Ford Escape #600,000
Ford Explorer #700,000
Honda Accord #350,000
Honda City #250,000
Honda Civic #300,000
Honda CR-V #550,000
Honda Pilot #850,000
Hyundai Accent #550,000
Infiniti FX35 #1,000,000
Infiniti QX4 #950,000
Land Rover Discovery #2,200,000
Land Rover Freelander #3,200,000
Land Rover LR3 #2,000,000
Land Rover Range Rover #2,000,000
Land Rover #1500,000
Range Rover Sport #5,400,000
Land Rover Vogue #4,300,000
Lexus GS #1,000,000
Lexus GX460 #950,000
Lexus GX470 #1,000,000
Lexus RX 300 #650,000
Lexus RX 330 #750,000
Mazda Tribute #950,000
Mercedes-Benz C-Class #650,000
Mercedes-Benz E-Class #750,000
Mitsubishi Endeavour #400,000
Nissan Altima #550,000
Nissan Armada #950,000
Nissan Maxima #600,000
Nissan Murano #870,000
Nissan Pathfinder #800,000
Nissan Primera #300,000
Nissan Quest #500,000
Nissan Xterra #450,000
Peugeot 406 #530,000
Peugeot 407 #650,000
Toyota 4Runner #850,000
Toyota Avalon #600,000
Toyota Avensis #750,000
Toyota Camry #700,000
Toyota Corolla #450,000
Toyota FJ Cruiser #750,000
Toyota Highlander #850,000
Toyota HiLux #1,500,000
Toyota Matrix #850,000
Toyota Prado #3,200,000
Toyota Rav4 #300,000
Toyota Sequoia #550,000
Toyota Sienna #450,000
Toyota Tacoma #480,000
Toyota Tundra #1,500,000
Toyota Venza #1,2000,000
Toyota Yaris #650,000
READ THESE CAREFULLY FOR MORE INFO PLEASE;
Terms and Condition Involve for the Car Delivery:
1. before we sell to you we need to know you more better
2. You must forward your address to our mobile number that is after you call us, for full details about the car.
3. Then we take the car to the registration office to register the car for you,
which may either require your Id card for registration
4. The VIN (vehicle Identification Number) which need to be approved by the Custom Registrar
before the car will be delivered,
because without the VIN the car is not genuine because government is going to hold you responsible.
For you not to fall a Victim the VIN must be approved,
then immediately we give you our company car fax website for you to confirm your registration
5. you must have valid ID CARD for your registration (Driveing licence, Internation passport,
or office id card, 2passpot either white or black, 2photocopy of each id card)
6. when the car arrive you make your full transaction(payment)
YOUR INFORMATION WE NEED FROM YOU ARE….
1. YOUR NAME
2. YOUR ADDRESS
3. THE COLOUR OF THE VEHICLE YOU REQUEST FOR
4. A SCAN COPY OF YOUR ID CARD
5. PHOTOCOPY OF YOUR NEPA BILL
6. ONE PASSPORT EITHER COLOURED OR WHITE AND BLACK
7. PURPOSE OF BUYIING CAR
WE DELIVER ALL OVER THE 36 STATE IN NIGERIA.
Interested persons should contact CUSTOM BALOGUN.
Phone: 08068690873.FOR MORE ENQUIRES.
address:seme Zone, carfarx reg zone.
NOTE: IT IS DELIVERY BEFORE PAYMENT, TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY IN OUR DEALINGS. THANK YOU.
Quality articles is the key to attract the users to visit the site,
that’s what this website is providing.