A fresh application from retired Col. Sambo Dasuki’s counsel, Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN), on Monday stalled his trial.
Dasuki, Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser and Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former NNPC Executive Director, were being tried for alleged diversion of N13.6 billion.
The others were Acacia Holding Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
At the last sitting on May 23, Mr Adeola Adedipe, who held Daudu’s brief told the court that they were yet to have access to Dasuki as ordered.
Adedipe informed the court that they were not ready because they have no access to Dasuki, and urged the court to grant them an adjournment.
At the resumed sitting on Monday, Daudu brought an application praying the court to consolidate the two cases in FCT High Court, Maitama, since there were the same charges.
These cases were before Justice Huseeni Baba-Yusuf and Justice Peter Affen, respectively.
Daudu told the court that the application dated May 31 was praying the court for an order to consolidate the two cases because there were the same charges.
He was also seeking for an order directing the prosecution to amend charge No FCT/HC/CR/43/ 2015 pending before Baba-Yusuf to include the counts before Justice Affen.
Also, another that the prosecution of both cases were unconstitutional and prejudicial to the rights of Dauski to a fair trial by an independent and impartial tribunal or court.
Daudu said the application was pursuant to Sections 6(6)(a), 35(5) and (9) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Section 1(1), 208, 396(3), 401and 492(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court to go on with trial because the application brought by Daudu was not ripe for hearing.
Jacobs said that the second case was not in the same court and that trial should start from day-to-day till judgement and urged the court to go on with trial.
Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), Mr Solomon Umoh, Dr Abiodun Layonu (SAN), Olajide Ayodele, counsel to Salisu, Baba-Kusa, Acacia Holding, Reliance Referral Hospital, told the court that they were ready for the trial.
Sequel to the submissions by all the counsel, Baba-Yusuf adjourned the case till June 15 for the hearing of Daudu’s application.
