A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Wednesday granted former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) bail after he was re-arraigned on the allegation of $2.1bn arms fund diversion. According to NAN, Dasuki was docked on 32 counts amended charges along with Aminu Baba Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital.
The four defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all the 32-count charge.
Apart from the dropping of former Director of Finance and Supply in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Salisu Shuaib from the amended charge list, the charges were almost the same with the old 18 count charges brought against the defendants by the federal government in 2015.
During the re-arraignment, no reason was adduced by the prosecutor on why the former Director of Finance in the office of the NSA who served along with Colonel Dasuki was dropped from the trial having being arraigned together since 2015.
Moments after taking the plea of the defendants, the issue of bail was raised and Counsel to Dasuki, Mr. Adeola Adedekpe, pleaded with the court to grant the defendants bail in liberal terms in view of the fact that the defendants have been attending trial since 2015.
Since the Counsel to the federal government, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe did not oppose the bail application, the Judge granted the bail application.
The trial Judge, Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf, however, ordered that Dasuki and other defendants be allowed to continue to enjoy the bail he granted them in 2015 when they were first arraigned before his court.
Meanwhile, Justice Baba Yusuf has fixed July 3 and 5 for the trial of the defendants in the new charges.
