The Federal Government on Tuesday slammed six-count money laundering charge against former chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi over his alleged complicity in the $2 billion arms deal fraud.
Dokpesi, who was recently arrested and later granted administrative bail by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was accused of having received over N10 billion from the office of the erstwhile National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
He was charged alongside his company, Daar Holding and Investment Ltd.
FG specifically alleged that he acted in breach of extant provisions of the Money Laundering Act, the EFCC Act and the Public Procurement Act, for receiving huge sums of money from the office of the NSA, for unsubstantiated purpose.
Meanwhile, though the charge is yet to be assigned to any Judge for trial, Dokpesi has since approached Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the high court, praying for protection of his fundamental rights which he said was being threatened by the anti-graft agency.
In an ex-parte application he filed through his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozehkome (SAN), Dokpesi urged the court to grant him bail on liberal terms, pending his formal arraignment before a court of competent jurisdiction.
Instead of granting the motion, Justice Kolawole, in a chamber ruling last Friday, ordered Dokpesi’s lawyer to go and put the Federal Government on notice, even as he adjourned the matter till December 14.
The court also directed EFCC to produce Dokpesi before it on that day.
However, few hours after the order was made, EFCC granted administrative bail to Dokpesi.
In his application dated, December 3, Dokpesi told the court that he was detained for more than 48 hours without the EFCC entering any charge against him.
Ozehkome told the court that his client was on December 1, summoned via the telephone to report to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
He said Dokpesi has since then remained in custody on the anti-graft agency, adding that he was grilled for so many hours despite the fact that he did not have foreknowledge of why he was wanted by EFCC.
Besides, Ozehkome contended that the offences leveled against Dokpesi by the agency were such that can ordinarily attract bail, adding that his client has no reason or any likelihood to jump bail, escape justice or interfere with witnesses.
He told the court that Dokpesi has no criminal antecedent or record, even as he urged the court to consider the status of his client in the society and release him on self-recognition or on the most liberal terms.
It will be recalled that Chief 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.
The EFCC has maintained that Dokpesi has questions to answer with regards to huge sums of money paid to him while Dasuki held sway as the NSA.
Nevertheless, Dokpesi was reported to have claimed that the payments were for media coverages his media outfits rendered to former president Jonathan prior to the 2015 general elections.
-Vanguard
