Alleged $25,000 bribe: Court adjourns suit against Shehu Sani until April 24

The Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday,  adjourned the bribery suit preferred against Sen. Shehu Sani, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) until April 24.

At the resumed  hearing, Mr Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, Sani’s counsel, continued with the cross examination of Mr Bako Aliyu, the 10th prosecution witness.

Aliyu, an investigator with the EFCC said the commission retrieved from MTN service providers, the call log showing conversations between Sani and the complainant, Alhaji Sani Dauda, owner of ASD Motors.

He said that the call log was however, not tendered before the court as evidence.

When asked if the EFCC solicited the support of the police to investigate the case, considering the fact that Ibrahim Magu, former acting chairman of the EFCC was also accused, the witness said no.

After the 10th witness was discharged from the witness box, the prosecuting counsel attempted to call another witness but the judge refused.

The judge insisted that Ekele Iheanacho, the EFCC counsel who had been handling the matter should continue with the case.

“Where is Mr Iheanacho? He should come back and do this case. I’m not going to allow you. I don’t want my proceedings to have controversies at the end of the day,” the judge said.

Sani’s counsel had earlier drawn the court’s attention to a publication by the EFCC on its Twitter page saying what was reported by the EFCC was not what transpired in court.

Justice Ekwo warned the prosecution against distorting facts saying that there would be consequences if the proceedings of the court  were misrepresented.

“The court of public opinion is not a court of coordinate jurisdiction. It is this court that has the last say at the end of this matter. Not the court of public opinion.”

“From the beginning of this case, I have said the record of this case are public records and it can be obtained by anybody including the media,” the judge said.

“I don’t want to hear about distorted publications again,” he said.

The judge adjourned the matter until  May 24 for continuation.

The EFCC is prosecuting the former senator on a two-count charge bordering on influence peddling and obtaining the sum of 25,000 dollars from Dauda to allegedly bribe the EFCC to shield him from investigation.