SEC: Court reschedules ruling on Gwarzo’s no-case submission
An FCT High Court in Maitama has rescheduled the delivery of ruling on a no-case submission filed by suspended Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mounir Gwarzo for Tuesday. The court had earlier fixed April 12 for the ruling, however, the trial judge, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf communicated through a court official to […]
Dr Mounir Gwarzo.
An FCT High Court in Maitama has rescheduled the delivery of ruling on a no-case submission filed by suspended Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mounir Gwarzo for Tuesday.
The court had earlier fixed April 12 for the ruling, however, the trial judge, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf communicated through a court official to parties in the suit that they have to come back on Tuesday, April 16 for the ruling.
Gwarzo was arraigned on a five-count charge by the Independent and Corrupt Practices and Other Related Commission (ICPC) along with Zakawani Garba, a commissioner in SEC for allegedly paying himself severance benefits of N104.8m and N10.4m in excess of car grant while still in service.
ICPC said Gwarzo’s action is contrary to Section 311 and punishable under 312 of the Penal Code Act while Garba’s action was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Following their pleas of not-guilty, the prosecution called five witnesses to prove the case against the defendants.
At the conclusion of prosecution’s case, the defendants filed a no-case submission, an application which literally means that the defendant(s) is submitting that the prosecution had not led enough evidence to warrant for conviction or for the defendant(s) to defend himself.
If the application succeeds, the defendant(s) will be discharged and acquitted. However, if it fails, the defendant(s) will be ordered to open his defence.