Alleged fraud: Absence of judge stalls arraignment of Dana Air MD, others

The absence of Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, stalled the planned arraignment of the Managing Director (MD), Dana Air, Hathiramani Jacky Ranesh, on allegations bordering on fraud.
On June 30, the court fixed the arraignment of Ranesh and two other defendants for October 13.
The case, which was on number five on the cause list, however, could not proceed due to Justice Egwuatu’s official engagement at the judges’ seminar in Lagos State.
Although counsel to the Dana MD, Ade Adedeji, SAN, was sighted in court, Ranesh was not seeing as at the time of filing the report.
In the suit marked CR/101/21, the MD of Dana Air is the first defendant.
At the last adjourned date, while other defendants were in court, Ranesh was absent.
Adedeji had told the court that the absence of his client in court was to the knowledge of the prosecution.
When the matter was called, Adedeji said he was in court to represent Ramesh after they were served with the notice of arraignment.
The lawyer had told the court that his client was not in the country.
“The charge before this honourable court is a serious matter.
“We came in from Lagos just to come and explain to your lordship the circumstances that informed our acceptance of service without knowing that the date is coming so soon.
“We didn’t know before we accepted it. We have an option not to accept this but as officer in the temple of justice, we felt we are under obligation to accept on his (Ranesh’s) behalf.
“But to the knowledge of counsel to the prosecution, the principal defendant is not in the country which was made known to the prosecution.
“It is on the basis of these circumstances that we shall be appealing to your lordship for an adjournment my lord to enable the defendant appear before this honourable court,” he had said.
And after counsel to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Wilson Michelangelo, did not oppose the request for an adjournment, Egwuatu fixed October 13 for arraignment of the suspects.
The court fixed February 15, 2022 for arraignment.