{"id":65834,"date":"2019-03-27T06:30:08","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T05:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=65834"},"modified":"2019-03-27T06:30:08","modified_gmt":"2019-03-27T05:30:08","slug":"absence-of-lead-defence-counsel-stalls-suswams-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/absence-of-lead-defence-counsel-stalls-suswams-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"Absence of Lead Defence Counsel Stalls Suswam’s Trial"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
The trial of the former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, which<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
resumed today, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, was adjourned to May 22, 2019 due
\nto the absence of the lead defence counsel, J.P Daudu, SAN, who was said
\nto be under the weather.<\/p>\n

Suswam and Okolobia Okpanachi, former commissioner of finance in the state
\nare being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC
\non a nine-count charge bordering on diversion of N3.1 billion before
\nJustice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja.<\/p>\n

Both are alleged to have diverted proceeds of the sale of shares, owned by
\nBenue State Government and Benue Investment & Property Company Limited.<\/p>\n

One of the charges against them reads, \u201cThat you Gabriel Torwua Suswam and
\nOmodachi Okolobia, while being the Benue State governor and commissioner
\nof finance of Benue State respectively between 8th August and 30th
\nOctober, 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court
\ntook possession of the sum of $15, 800,000 (Fifteen Million, Eight Hundred
\nThousand Dollars) from Abubakra Umar of Fanffash Resources World-wide
\nLimited, a bureau de change dealer which sum you knew to be the proceed of
\nunlawful activity to wit: theft of the sum of N3, 111, 008,018.51 (Three
\nBillion, One Hundred and Eleven Million, Eight Thousand, Eighteen Naira,
\nFifty-one Kobo ) which form part of the sum of N9,411,708,009.51 (Nine
\nBillion, Four Hundred and Eleven Million, Seven Hundred and Eight
\nThousand, Nine Naira, Fifty One Kobo), realized from the sale of shares,
\nowned by Benue Government and\u00a0 Benue Investment and Property Company
\nLimited and you thereby committed and offence contrary to Section 15 (2)
\n(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as Amended in 2012 and
\npunishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the resumed trial today, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN
\ninformed the court that though the matter was billed for hearing today,
\nthe lead defence counsel, Daudu, SAN, contacted him and told him that he
\nwas indisposed. He added that Mr Daudu asked for an adjournment, an
\napplication Jacobs told the court that he will not oppose.<\/p>\n

A defense counsel, David Iorhemba, who held brief for Daudu told the court
\nthat what the prosecution said was the position of the defense, adding
\nthat due to the ill health, the lead counsel, Daudu will be asking for a
\nvery long adjournment to enable him recover.<\/p>\n

Justice Mohammed, after listening to counsels adjourned to May 22 and 23,
\n2019 for continuation of the trial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The trial of the former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, which resumed today, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, was adjourned to May 22, 2019 due to the absence of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAbsence of Lead Defence Counsel Stalls Suswam's Trial - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/absence-of-lead-defence-counsel-stalls-suswams-trial\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Absence of Lead Defence Counsel Stalls Suswam's Trial - 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