Arraignment: Dokpesi pleads not guilty...

The Economic and  Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, docked  erstwhile  Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over alleged N2.1 billion fraud.
Dokpesi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  is answering to a six-count criminal charge bordering on alleged procurement fraud  and breach of public trust.


He was arraigned alongside  his firm, DAAR Investment and Holdings Ltd, owners of African Independent Television, AIT, and Raypower FM.
Specifically, EFCC, in the charge signed by its Deputy Director, Legal & Prosecution, Mr. Aliyu Yusuf,  alleged that Dokpesi received about N2.1 billion from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, for PDP’s  presidential media campaign.
According to the charge, the funds were released to the accused persons  between October 2014 and March 19, 2015.
The funds were allegedly transferred from an account the office of NSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN , to a FirstBank  of Nigeria Plc account owned by DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited.
The prosecution maintained that the transaction was in breach of  section 58 (4) (b) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and punishable under Section 58 (6) and (7) of the same Act, as well as under Section 17 (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.
Dokpesi pleads not guilty
Meanwhile, Dokpesi, yesterday, pleaded not guilty to the entire six-count charge, even as Justice Gabriel Kolawole adjourned till today to consider his application for bail.
In the interim, the court gave the EFCC the nod to detain the accused person in its custody pending determination of his bail request.
Dokpesi had shortly after his arraignment, prayed the court to grant him bail on liberal terms.
The defence counsel, Chief Mike Ozehkome, SAN, urged the court to  consider the status of his client and release him on self recognition or “on the most liberal term,” saying the offences against him are ordinarily bailable.
However, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN,  objected to the court allowing Dokpesi’s lawyer to move the bail application which he said was just served on him yesterday.
Jacobs told the court that he would need time to study and react to fundamental issues he said were raised by the accused person in the bail application.
Consequently, by consent of the two lawyers, Justice Kolawole, adjourned till today to entertain arguments on whether Dokpesi should be granted bail or not.
The Judge,  however, slated February 17, 18 and March 2 and 3, 2016, to begin full-blown hearing on the substantive charge before the court.
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