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Prosecution witness admits standing trial for alleged N3.6b pension funds

By Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Abuja
01 February 2017   |   2:51 am
Prosecution ‎witness six in the on-going trial of Justice Adeniyi Ademola and two others over alleged receipt of gratification, admitted before the court yesterday that he is currently standing trial...
High Court

High Court

Prosecution ‎witness six in the on-going trial of Justice Adeniyi Ademola and two others over alleged receipt of gratification, admitted before the court yesterday that he is currently standing trial over alleged embezzlement of over N3.6 billion pension funds.

Justice Ademola, his wife, Olubowale and Joe Agi (SAN) are standing trial on a 16-count charge bothering on receipt of gratification and illegal possession of fire-arms.

At the resumed trial yesterday, the prosecution called its sixth witness, former director in the Pension Office, Federal Civil Service, Dr. Shuaibu Teidi, who was to give evidence of N25 million bribe allegedly demanded from him by Justice Ademola while presiding over his trial.

In his evidence in-chief led by prosecution counsel, Segun Jegede, Teidi told the court that he was arraigned before Justice Ademola around 2012 and was kept in prison for about 14 months where he developed high blood pressure and diabetes.

He told the court that the judge gave him a stringent bail condition and refused to vary same, an act which made him approached the Court of Appeal for variation and was consequently released in 2014.

Teidi further told the court that his wife received calls from several people among whom was one Kingsley O. requesting for the bribe of N25 million for Justice Ademola.

He added that it was based on this that his wife wrote a petition to the NJC.

Under cross-examination however, the witness admitted to be standing trial for alleged embezzlement of pension funds.

He was also confronted with the report of the investigative panel of National Judicial Council (NJC), which exonerated Justice Ademola of the accusation of asking for bribe.

The witness remained silent as the counsel to Ademola, Onyechi Ikpeazu, read out the report dated February 27, 2015 and jointly signed by Justice D.O Dozie who was the chairman of the committee, set up to investigate the petition, Justice H.Y Heman (member) and Mrs. R.S Ibrahim (member).

When Teidi was further asked whether he wrote a petition to the Department of State Security Service (DSS) against Justice Ademola, he said no. He however added that he was invited by the DSS two weeks ago and was shown a petition written by some people.

He added that it was on the strength of the petition that he was asked to write a statement.

Asked whether he or his wife had any contact or received any phone call from Justice Ademola during the pendency of his case before him, he also said no.

The court adjourned till today. ‎

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