Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High
Court, FCT, High
Court, Apo, Abuja on Thursday, November
14, 2024 berated Adeola Adedipe, SAN, counsel
to former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye for employing
delay tactics to stall the pace of progress in the trial of the former
minister.
Agunloye is facing prosecution by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC before on seven-count charges,
bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of Mambilla Power Project
contract to the tune of $6billion (Six Billion US Dollars).
At Thursday’s proceedings,
the judge observed that the defence counsel has been in the
habit of advancing excuses based on Agunloye’s health, and
age as well as the filing of diverse motions which have
ensured that progress was not made in the trial.
Addressing the defence
counsel, Justice Onwuegbuzie stated that “My principle of justice
is that of no delay. The other time you brought the issue
of amicus curiae and wasted the time of the court. You should
also know that in my court I don’t read processes. If you
need time to serve processes, it must reach me on time and your colleague
must also be duly aware in time. There must be mutual
respect. Do not come and serve processes in court, I don’t take that
in my court,” he said.
Prosecuting Counsel, Abba Mohammed, SAN, had at
the beginning of proceedings informed the court that business of the day
was the adoption of the prosecution’s application for the amendment
of the charge which was filed on October 30, 2024, to which the
defence curiously responded with a counter-affidavit and a
plea to the court to grant an adjournment to enable the prosecution study
the affidavit.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter till November
28, 2024 for ruling on the adoption of the application.
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