Despite pending order, EFCC moves Dalori’s trial to another court

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, August 22, failed to produce businessman, Babagana Abba Dalori before a Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraud via a Ponzi scheme. Instead, the EFCC filed a different criminal charge against the suspect before an FCT High Court in Nyanya, Abuja, while he remains […]

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, August 22, failed to produce businessman, Babagana Abba Dalori before a Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraud via a Ponzi scheme.

Instead, the EFCC filed a different criminal charge against the suspect before an FCT High Court in Nyanya, Abuja, while he remains in detention.

Dalori was arrested on March 29 after his company, Galaxy Transportation and Construction Services Ltd, which is involved in quarry, mining and sand operations in Jere and Kwali of Kaduna and FCT, received funds from investors but could not pay up due to some natural disaster and other setbacks.

Dalori was alleged to have received funds from 20,700 investors in the company’s mining operations.

Ruling on a fundamental rights application by his counsel, Joe Gadzama (SAN), Justice Taiwo Taiwo had on August 9 ordered the urgent hearing of Dalori’s enforcement suit before the Federal High Court and adjourned the matter to August 22.

Following the failure to produce the suspect on August 22, Justice Taiwo frowned at the conduct of the anti-graft agency in filing charges against the suspect in a different court 24 hours to the date despite the pending order of the court. The matter is now slated for September 10 for hearing.

The ruling is the second such order after another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu had on May 30 restrained the EFCC from taking any step which would be inimical to the guaranteed fundamental rights of Dalori as provided under sections 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.

“It is hereby ordered as follows, that the respondent is hereby ordered to release the applicant forthwith or grant him administrative bail where there is prima facie evidence that the applicant has committed an offence pending the outcome of investigation,” she said.

Following his compliance with the bail in June, the EFCC in July rearrested the businessman.

The spokesman of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren on Sunday confirmed the charges against Dalori, maintaining that “he is not just facing one matter, even as we are talking people are still bringing complaints against him.”

In his defence papers, Dalori denied running a Ponzi scheme, and tendered copies of licences of compliance with regulations in the operation of a mining business. Some of them are: Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, National Inland Waterways Authority, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Nigeria Industrial Training Fund, Bureau of Public Procurement, National Pension Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service and the EFCC Special Control Against Money Laundering (SCUML) with registration number: 151602146.

“The EFCC are just trying to frustrate his bail and the determination of the matter,” said one of the lawyers in the matter.