The former chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi was yesterday re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice James Tsoho of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over alleged N2.1 billion fraud.
When the six-count charge was read to him, he pleaded not guilty to all the six-count criminal charge preferred against him by the anti-graft agency.
Dokpesi was earlier arraigned before Justice Gabriel Kolawale of the same court on December 9, 2015.
He had pleaded not guilty to the entire six-count charge before Justice Kolawole and the matter was slated for 17, 18 and March 2 and 3, 2016, to begin full-blown hearing on the substantive charge before the court.
The chief judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta however re-assigned the case file to Justice Tsoho but gave no reason why the case was re-assigned.
After Dokpesi pleaded not guilty, his lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanikpekun (SAN), prayed the court to allow him continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted him by Justice Kolawale.
The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) raised no objection.
The trial judge, Justice Tsoho who granted the prayer in a short ruling held that Dokpesi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, should continue to enjoy the bail with the same conditions that was accorded him by Justice Kolawale.
Dokpesi was arraigned alongside his firm, DAAR Investment and Holdings Ltd, owners of African Independent Television, AIT, and Raypower FM.
Specifically, EFCC, in the charge signed by its Deputy Director, Legal and Prosecution, Mr. Aliyu Yusuf, alleged that Dokpesi received about N2.1 billion from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, for PDP’s presidential media campaign.
According to the charge, the funds were released to the accused persons between October 2014 and March 19, 2015.
The funds were allegedly transferred from an account the office of NSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN , to a FirstBank of Nigeria Plc account owned by DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited.
The prosecution maintained that the transaction was in breach of section 58 (4) (b) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and punishable under Section 58 (6) and (7) of the same Act, as well as under Section 17 (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.
Some of the charges against him read: “That you Dr. Raymond Dokpesi and Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited between October 2014 and March 19, 2015 in Abuja, conducted procurement fraud by means of fraudulent and corrupt act, to wit: receipt of payment into the account of Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited with FirstBank of Nigeria Plc of public funds in the sum of N2,120,000,000 from the account of the office of National Security Adviser (NSA) with the Central Bank of Nigeria for the funding of media activities for the 2015 presidential election campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 58 (4) (b) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 58 (6) & (7) of the same Act.
“That you Dr. Raymond Dokpesi and Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited between October 2014 and March 19, 2015 in Abuja, entered into a purported contract on presidential media initiative and received payment in the sum of N2,120,000,000 into the account of Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited with FirstBank of Nigeria Plc, from the account of the office of National Security Adviser (NSA) with the Central Bank of Nigeria on account of the purported contract without a “Certificate of No Objection to Contract Award” duly issued by Public Procurement Bureau and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 16 (1) (b), (4) & (5) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 58 (6) of the same Act.
“That you Dr. Raymond Dokpesi and Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited between January 22 and March 19, 2015 in Abuja, knew that an aggregate sum of N2,120,000,000 directly represented the proceeds of criminal conduct of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd) and Shuaibu Salisu, who were National Security Adviser and the Director of Finance, office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) respectively to wit: criminal breach of trust in respect of the said amount, used the said property and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 17 (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.”
It will be recalled that Dokpesi was on December 1, arrested and detained in connection with money disbursed from the office of the former NSA under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd .
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