The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, re-arraigned the former secretary to the government of the federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, at the Abuja High Court, Maitama, over his alleged complicity in the N554 million grass- cutting contract.
The other co-defendants also re-arraigned were Babachir’s younger brother, Hamidu, Messrs Suleiman Abubakar, Apeh Monday and two companies – Rholavision Engineering Ltd and Josmon Technologies Ltd.
Lawal served as SGF under President Muhammadu Buhari, between August 27, 2015, and October 30, 2017.
At today’s hearing, the accused entered a fresh plea of not guilty to all the amended 10-count charge preferred against them, prompting their lawyers to request from the judge an order permitting the defendants to continue to enjoy the bail already granted them by the former judge.
The former SGF was among other things, alleged to have connived with the other defendants and illegally diverted the contract awarded for the removal of grasses in IDP camps, to his own company.
Some of the counts in the charge sheet marked CR/158/19, read: “That you Engineer Babachir David Lawal while being the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and a director of Rholavision Engineering Ltd, on or about the 7th of March, 2016 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did knowingly hold indirectly a private interest in the consultancy contract awarded to Rholavision Engineering Ltd for the removal of invasive plant species and simplified irrigation to the tune of N7, 009,515.96 (Seven Million, Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifteen Naira and Ninety Six Kobo only) by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) through the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.
“That you Engineer Babachir David Lawal while being the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and a director of Rholavision Engineering Ltd on or about the 4th of March, 2016 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did knowingly hold indirectly a private interest in the contract awarded to Josmon Technologies Ltd but executed by Rholavision Engineering Ltd for the removal of invasive plant species and simplified irrigation to the tune of N272,524,356.02 (Two Hundred and Seventy Two Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty Six Naira and Two Kobo only) by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) through the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
“That you Engineer Babachir David Lawal while being the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and a director of Rholavision Engineering Ltd on or about the 22nd August, 2016 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did knowingly hold indirectly a private interest in the contract awarded to Josmon Technologies Ltd but executed by Rholavision Engineering Ltd for the removal of invasive plant species and simplified irrigation to the tune of N258,132,735.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Eight Million, One Hundred and Thirty Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty Five Naira only) by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) through the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000”.
Aside from Mr. Akin Olujinmi, who represented Lawal, the rest of the defence lawyers were Messrs Sunday Ameh, Napoleon Idenala, Ocholi Okutepa and Marcel Oru.
The lawyers had separately pleaded with the court to allow their clients to continue to enjoy the bail granted by late Justice Okeke who was hearing the matter before his demise.
They assured the court that the defendants will continue to keep to the terms of their bails, while the defendants also undertook to attend trial always.
In a short ruling, Justice Charles Agbaza granted the prayers of the defence lawyers and allowed the defendants to continue to enjoy the terms of bail granted them by late Justice Okeke.
He adjourned the case to January 20, 2021 to restart the trial.
It would be recalled that the accused were initially docked before the court on February 12, 2019.
Their re-arraignment today followed the death of the former trial judge, Justice Okeke.
The trial had already proceeded with EFCC calling its witnesses, before Justice Okeke’s death on August 4, 2020.
Consequently, the case-file was re-assigned to Justice Agbaza for the trial to commence afresh.
It would also be recalled that late Justice Okeke had on February 13, 2019, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N50 million each, with one surety in like sum.
The court equally seized their international passports.
