Reports show that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has preferred a six counts of money laundering and procurement-related charge involving N2.1bn against the former Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
The charge with number FHC/ABJ/CR/380/2015, was filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
Dokpesi and a subsidiary of Daar Communications, Daar Investment and Holding Limited, are the two defendants.
The charge arose from the N2.1bn the defendants allegedly collected from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
Operatives of EFCC had arrested Dokpesi following an investigation into the interim report of a presidential committee on the procurement of arms and equipment for the Armed Forces and the defence sector from 2007 to date.
Dokpesi had, however, in a statement, said the money he collected from the NSA’s office was meant for publicity and media campaigns during the 2015 general elections, describing it as a contractual transaction.
In the charge, the prosecution says Dokpesi and his company had, by the deal, violated the provisions of the EFCC Act, Public Procurement Act and Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
The case, as of the time of filing this report on Tuesday, had not been assigned to a judge but there are feelings that the arraignment of the defendants might take place before the end of this week.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the same Federal High Court in Abuja had on December 4, asked the EFCC to produce Dokpesi in court on December 14.
The judge made the order in his ruling on an ex parte application filed by Dokpesi’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).
The proceedings, during which the judge granted the order on Friday, held in the judge’s chambers and not in the open court.
Ozekhome, who informed journalists of the outcome of the proceedings, said the judge also ordered the EFCC to appear in court to show cause why he should not grant Dokpesi’s prayer for unconditional or conditional bail.
Dokpesi, through his lawyer, had in the application, prayed for an order compelling the EFCC to produce him before the court on the date this application comes up for hearing”.
He also sought “an order admitting the applicant to bail on self recognition or on such favourable and liberal terms as this court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.”
His prayers were anchored on the grounds that no charges had been formally preferred against him over 48 hours after his detention.
The applicant said he honoured a verbal invitation from officials of the EFCC on December 1 and had been detained since then after subjecting him to hours of “unprepared interrogation.”
He argued that the offences alleged against him “are ordinarily bail-able.”
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment towards ensuring that those involved in plunging Nigeria into its current socio-political predicament, through reckless stealing, are made to answer for their crimes.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.