Alleged $9.5m Misappropriation: Court Reserves Ruling in EFCC’s Motion to Join Pinnick, Sanusi

-

Image result for Amaju pinnick




Justice Peter Affen of an Abuja High Court in Maitama on Thursday reserved ruling in a motion seeking to join the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, and NFF Secretary-General, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, as defendants in the alleged misappropriation of $9.5 million Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) grant suit.



Justice Affen reserved ruling in the motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after listening to counsel in the matter.


The anti-graft agency had dragged three officials of the NFF before the court over allegations of misappropriation of $9.5million FIFA grant.


They are being prosecuted on a five-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and misappropriation.



The defendants include Christopher Andekin, NFF Director of Administration and Finance; Reagan Zaka, Cashier, and Fadanari Mamza, Head, Finance and Account Department.



However, the commission, on April 30, applied to join both Pinnick and Sanusi in the matter as co-defendants.

The EFCC alleged that they conspired between January 8 and 26, 2015, to commit the offences, contrary to Section 97 of Penal Code.

Andekin was alleged to have been entrusted with money meant for the development of football in Nigeria, a grant from the world football body FIFA.



He was alleged to have fraudulently diverted $1.3million from the NFF domiciliary account with Zenith Bank, an act contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code.



Zaka, on his part, was said to have fraudulently diverted $7.2million from the FIFA grant, while Mamza was alleged of diverting $2. 3million.



The defendants all pleaded not guilty to the charge.



At the resumed sitting, while adopting processes filed in support of the joinder application, prosecuting counsel, Steve Odiase, urged the court to grant the application.



According to him, the charge filed by the government against the first and second defendants and both Pinnick and Sanusi at the Federal High Court in Abuja was different from the one at the FCT high court.


On his part, counsel for the defendants, Festus Ukpe, while adopting affidavits opposing the joinder, urged the court to refuse the application.



After listening to submissions of counsel, Justice Affen reserved ruling on the application till a date that will be communicated to parties.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Population of Doctors in Nigeria Hits 74,543

-
Image
  The number of registered medical doctors in Nigeria has risen to 74,543. According to the federal government statistics, as at 2018, the stock of professionally regulated health workers in Nigeria health sector has also recorded a significant increase. The population equates to 36.3 percent of medical doctors per 100,000 population (doctor to population ratio of 1: 2753). Fifty-nine percent of the registered medical practitioners were in good standing with 35 percent being females. While presenting the statistics at a one-day workshop on Nigeria Health Workforce for Universal Health Coverage organised by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Abuja, Deputy Director, Human Resource Department, Shakuri Kadiri, said there is a variation in the distribution of medical doctors by state of practice from the reported 2012 density. He said: "The density of medical doctors presented is based on the number of doctors in good stan
Read more

Drug Insecurity: House Urges FG to Fund Indigenous Drug Research

-
Image
The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the federal government to invest more in the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development in order to encourage local and indigenous research. The House also urged the government to revisit the National Drug Policy as a way to promote and boost the medical industry. It directed its Committees on Health Institutions, Health Care Services and Science and Technology to organise a round table discussion to chart a probable course for the development of locally made drugs. The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion titled: 'Need to check the Rise of Drug Insecurity and to encourage Indigenous Production of Drugs in Nigeria', which was moved by Hon. Dennis Idahosa at the plenary. Moving the motion, Idahosa said the House is aware that China has recently been inflicted with the coronavirus disease which has paralysed its economy, thus rendering it unable to produce or
Read more

Court Stops National Assembly From Taking Over Bauchi Assembly

-
Image
As the National Assembly received a report from the committee it sent to Bauchi State to probe the leadership crisis rocking the state assembly since its inauguration last month, the state high court on Monday issued an order of interim injunction ordering that the present Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Abubakar Suleiman and Danlami Kawule respectively,   should continue leading the assembly pending the determination of the suit before it. Justice Muazu Abubakar, who issued the order, fixed October 3, 2019, for hearing of the motion and substantive application filed by the speaker, deputy speaker and other 11 members of the assembly who participated in the assembly election. Abubakar said after listening to and considering the submissions made by the lawyers of the applicants Barrister Jibrin Sa'id Jibrin, A.S Idris and U.K Adam, he hereby ordered that status qou between the parties in the suit be maintained until the determination of the motion on notice. I
Read more