The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday re-arraigned a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) and three others for alleged N33.2 billion fraud at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.
Dasuki was arraigned alongside a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa and two companies, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
The defendants’ re-arraignment followed the reassignment of the case by the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, who previously handled the matter.
Dasuki was first arraigned on a 19-count charge of fraud alongside former Director of Finance and Administration, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Shuaibu Salisu, before Justice Baba-Yusuf on December 14, 2015.
The charge was over an alleged N15.5 billion fraud and was later amended by the prosecution because Salisu’s name was dropped from the charge.
On May 11, 2018, Dasuki and others were re-arraigned on an amended 32-count charge of criminal breach of trust, dishonest release and receiving various sums of money to the tune of N33.2 billion .
The prosecution had only called one witness, the investigating officer of the alleged arms sleaze, and was yet to conclude his evidence-in-chief when the case was adjourned sine die.
The commission had in 2015 filed two separates cases against Dasuki.
In the other case marked FCT/HC/CR/42/2015, Dasuki was charged as the second defendant alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Amb. Bashir Yuguda.
Also charged alongside the ex-NSA is a former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir and his company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.
They were arraigned on a 25-count charge of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N19.4 billion
The case had since been transferred to Justice Yusuf Halilu by Justice Baba-Yusuf.
When the case came up before Justice Charles Agbaza on Tuesday, the defendants took their fresh plea of not guilty to the 32 counts preferred against them.
The prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, asked the court to pick a date for the trial to begin.
The judge adjourned the matter till July 1 for trial.