Federal Government has applied to a Federal high court in Abuja for a secret trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (rtd) in the criminal charges of unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering preferred against him.
Simultaneously Dasuki has applied to the court for temporary release of his travel documents to enable him travel abroad for medical attention which is overdue since July.
But the government on Monday filed fresh charges against the ex-NSA which now include retention of funds which formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act contrary to the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
Dasuki, who was escorted to the court by three former civilian governors and a retinue of former ministers and top government functionaries, pleaded not guilty to the fresh five-count charges as against the earlier one count charge.
He was allowed bail on the previous term by Justice Ademola Adeniyi.
However, in a motion on notice argued by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, the Federal government applied to the court to grant secret trial of the ex-security chief for the security of its witnesses called to testify against the accused.
The application was brought to the court pursuant to section 36(4) of the 1999 constitution and section 232 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
Among others, the prosecution sought an order to direct that the names and addresses of all its witnesses should not be disclosed in any record or report of proceedings that may be accessible to the public and that the witnesses be permitted to use pseudo names in the course of proceedings; to grant to its witnesses access to a non-public route to and from the court premises and court rooms; as well as to allow them to use private witnesses’ rooms.
Apart from lawyers and accredited newsmen, the prosecution asked the court not to allow any member of the public to witness the trial and that the witnesses be permitted to wear face masks while giving evidence against the ex-NSA.
Labaran argued the motion submitting that the trial will suffer setback because the witnesses will not testify without secret trial for fear of reprisal from undisclosed places.
However, counsel to the accused, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, asked the court to dismiss the application for lacking merit and for being frivolous.
He told Justice Ademola that the names of the witnesses were already in the public domain at the instance of the prosecution, adding that the application was a mere academic exercise that should not be granted by the court.
Justice Ademola will give ruling on the application on Wednesday.
The fresh charges are that the accused was on July 17, 2015 at his house, No. 13, John Khadiya Street, Asokoro, Abuja found in possession of various range of firearms without requisite licence.
He was also accused of retaining $40,000, N5 million and another $20,000 in the same house on the same date.
Besides, the accused was said to have on July 16, 2015 at his residence at Sultan Abubakar Road and Sabon Birni Road, Sokoto retained another $150,000 and N37.6m being part of proceeds of unlawful act.
Meanwhile, the accused person through his counsel has filed an application for temporary release of his travel documents from the court to enable him travel abroad for medical attention.
The medical checkup was said to have been overdue since July but that he could not travel due to seizure of his passport.
The application will be argued next Wednesday.
-Leadership
