Dasuki’s bid to stop trial suffers set-back

The federal high court, Abuja, has adjourned ruling indefinitely on the application of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), to stop his trial.

Although the case was listed on the cause list of the court on Monday,  Adeniyi Ademola, the judge, did not appear.

The court clerk told TheCable that the case had been adjourned and that a new date would be communicated to the parties.

At the hearing of the application on March 3, Dasuki had said that investors’ confidence in the country was shaken because of the federal government’s refusal to obey court orders.

The former NSA, who was speaking through his counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), before Justice Ademola, had urged the court to halt his trial until the government complied with its order granting him bail.

“How will the government look like at the end of the day? Will investors be confident in this country when court make orders, but they are not obeyed?” he had said.

In November, 2015, Justice Ademola granted Dasuki bail, but he was rearrested immediately after his release from Kuje prison by the Department of State Services (DSS).

On February 16, Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), counsel to the DSS, had announced to the court  that the prosecution was ready for trial to commence.

But Daudu said that the defence counsel was not ready to proceed with the trial because the federal government was still keeping the accused person in detention despite an order of the court granting him bail.

“We cannot be ready for trial until the defendant enjoys his constitutional rights,” he had said.

“We apply that we should be given time to prepare the defence. The conduct of the prosecution has not enabled him to enjoy his constitutional rights.

“The worst is that for about seven weeks we do not know where he is.

“Any of us here who proceed to defend an accused person in this circumstance may lose his license of practice.”

However, Okpeseyi argued that the prosecution was not stopping Dasuki from enjoying his freedom.

He said that the accused person was not being held for the charges before the court, but on separate charges.

He therefore asked the court to reject the request for adjournment and to commence trial.

The court, however, fixed April 4, for ruling on the application.

Dasuki is facing a four-count charge of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).

He is also facing multiple counts of laundering money at the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Abuja.

Two judges of the FCT high court had dismissed his application to stop his trial.