Senator Ugbane, Elumelu for retrial

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Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

Former Chairman, of Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Power, Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane and his counterparts at House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu and Jibo Mohammed, who are standing trial for their alleged involvement in the multi billion Naira Rural Electrification Agency scam are to be re-arraigned before another Federal Capital Territory High Court.

The re- arraignment follows the re-assignment of the case by the Chief Judge of the Abuja High Court, Justice Lawal Gummi to Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, after the voluntary withdrawal of former trial judge, Justice Adebunkola Banjoko.

P. M. News findings indicate that the former trial judge, Justice Banjoko, voluntarily withdrew from the matter over some undisclosed reasons which were personal.

Ugbane and his co- accused were first arraigned on October 30, 2009 on a 130 counts charge together with six senior officials of the Rural Electrification Agency. The charges were subsequently separated with the lawmakers jointly facing a 62-count charge and the other six accused facing a 68-count charge.

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Since their first arraignment, the case had progressed at snail speed with series of interlocutory issues placing hurdles of the speedy determination of the matter.

The absence of Hon. Jibo Mohammed who was neither represented by any lawyer nor gave reason for his absence stalled Monday’s proceedings. This development prompted the prosecution counsel, Onjefu Obe to apply to the court for a bench warrant to effect Jibo’s arrest.

Obe averred that when an accused person in a criminal case fails to appear and there is nothing to show why he’s not in court, irrespective of who the person is, the prosecutor has the right to apply to the court to issue a bench warrant against such accused for him to come and explain why he was not present at the court.

Elumelu’s lawyer, Mr. Patrick Ikwueto, a senior advocate of Nigeria, came to the rescue of Jibo. He pointed out that Jibo’s absence may not be unconnected to the not being aware of today’s proceeding as the date was not communicated to him and posited that it would be wrong for the court to issue a bench warrant against him.

The court consequently adjourned the case 1st February, 2013 for the re arraignment of the accused persons.

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