Court dismisses FG’s objection to Dasuki’s medical trip
The Federal High Court, Abuja Division
yesterday dismissed Federal
Government’s objection to the request of
former National Security Adviser, Col.
Sambo Dasuki (rtd) for release of his
international passport and other
travelling documents for the purpose of
going abroad for medical attention.
On September 1, 2015 when Dasuki was
arraigned on a one- count charge of
money laundering before it was
expanded to include illegal possession of
arms, the court had confiscated his said
passport and other travelling documents
as a condition precedent to admitting
him on bail on self recognition.
But following claims of medical need,
Dasuki, through his counsel, Joseph
Daudu (SAN) has since approached the
court with an application, seeking
release of his travelling documents.
However, FG’s counsel and Director of
Public Prosecution, Mohammed Diri,
opposed the application.
Delivering his ruling on Dasuki’s request,
the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola,
held that the constitutional presumption
of innocence and the fact that only the
living could stand trial were in favour of
granting of the former NSA’s request.
Accordingly, Justice Ademola granted the
former NSA a period of three weeks “to
take care of his health.”
Consequently, he ordered the court
registrar to release the travel documents
of the former NSA, upon perfection of
the condition attached to his ruling,
which includes a surety, who will write
an undertaking to produce the accused
person on the next adjourned date
failure to do so, the surety would stand
trial in Dasuki’s stead.
In the alternative, Justice Ademola
ordered any of the senior counsel to the
accused person to sign an undertaking to
take his place, before the international
passport of the accused is released. Trial
has been adjourned till November 26
and 27, 2015.
At the resumed hearing, Prosecution
counsel, Diri, told the court that instead
of the one- count charge against Dasuki,
the charge had been expanded to include
illegal possession of various amounts of
local and foreign currencies in his Abuja
residence and family house in Sokoto,
contrary to Money Laundering
Prohibition Act 2011.
On Monday, in spite of the DPP’s
objection, Daudu had prayed the court to
release the travel documents of the
accused to him so that he would be able
to travel abroad for medical check-up.
According to him, Dasuki was billed to
travel a day before his arrest for medical
treatment but the arrest and trial have
so far prevented him from doing so.
The prosecution opposed the release of
Dasuki’s passport while insisting on the
need for a secret trial of the accused.
After taking arguments on both
applications, Justice Ademola, who had
earlier granted Dasuki bail on self
recognition, reserved his decision till
yesterday, Tuesday, November 3, 2015, a
decision which has now gone in favour
of the accused.
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