Update on Mambilla Case: EFCC Struggles with Retrospective Bribe Charges
Today, Monday, 23 September 2024, at the FCT Court 33, presided over by Honourable Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, the prosecution lawyers for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC acted in a desperate manner to re-establish its case that Dr Agunloye was involved in a retrospective bribe taking of N5m in 2019, 16 years after, for the $6 billion Mambilla hydroelectric power project awarded by him as a BOT contract in 2003 when he was a serving Minister of the Federal Republic.
Accordingly, EFCC brought another Prosecution Witness, Mr Wale Agunbiade, a staff of Jaiz Bank who told the court that he was working in GTBank in 2019 when a total of N5m was transferred to Dr Agunloye in three instalments over a period of 4 months by one Mr. Jide Sotirin. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission found it necessary to bring in another Prosecution Witness after the Defence Lawyers had knocked the base out of its first Prosecution Witness on the same issue during cross examinations before the court went on annual recess in July 2024.
The retroactive bribe taking charges being brought against the former Minister, over 20 years after leaving public office, seem to be important to the case being made by EFCC before the court and especially to support the statement of defence of the FGN at the International Arbitration in France that Ministers, Attorneys General and other Officials of the Federal Government of Nigeria were involved in illegal and corrupt practices with the hope that the Arbitration panel in France would, based on this, dismiss the claims brought up by Sunrise Power Company against FGN. This is what Dr. Agunloye and his defence team tag as “criminalisation strategy” by the Federal Government.
The court adjourned till 21 and 23 October 2024 to enable the Defence lawyers to cross examine this Jaiz Bank Prosecution Witness.
Adamu Idris
Correspondent,
Truth and Justice Advocacy, UK.
23 September 2024. Abuja
