N1.1bn armsgate: Court refuses EFCC’s bank documents

A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to tender bank documents as evidence in the trial of Col. Nicholas Ashinze, Special Assistant to former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki and others.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole yesterday ruled that the bank statements, mandate card and account statements for Unity Continental Nigeria Ltd being electronically generated evidence cannot be admitted without the appropriate person.

He said the documents ought to be tendered by officials of Heritage and Enterprise Banks Plc, who are the makers and can be examined on the documents.

The EFCC arraigned Ashinze on a 13-count charge alongside: Wolfgang Reinl, the General Manager of Geonel Integrated Services Ltd, Barrister Edidiong Ediong and Sagir Mohammed on corruption charges totalling N1.220 billion.

Other companies arraigned are: Unity Continental Nigeria Ltd, Helpline Organisation, Vibrant Resources Ltd and Sologic Integrated Services Ltd.

The EFCC claimed that younger brother to the former NSA, Abubakar Ibrahim Dasuki, retired Col. Bello Fadile and Bello Abayomi are still at large.

The EFCC alleged that Ashinze and Reinl on April 22 and May 5th, 2014 conspired to transfer the sum of N550m and N450m to Idiong and the sum of N120m to Sagir Mohammed.

Also, Ashinze and Reinl allegedly transferred the sum of N120m, 100m and N500m to Sologic Integrated and Vibrant Resource and Helpline Organisation on April 23 and 24, 2014 respectively.

The case has been adjourned to April 13 for hearing.