Alleged Money Laundering: Court Grants Badeh’s Variation Application

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an application for variation filed by the counsel of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, having met all the conditions attached.


 

The judge, in his ruling, granted the application on the ground that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to comply with a court order requesting it to verify the documents of the two sureties provided by the former Chief of Air Staff as part of his bail conditions.

The trial  was stalled on Wednesday because of the absence of the trial judge, Justice Obong Abang. The prosecution witness, who had testified at the last sitting, was expected to be cross examined by counsel to the former Defence Chief.
The trial, however, resumed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
Badeh’s lead counsel asked the court to grant his client bail since he had met all the conditions, except for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, that had not gone to certify the properties of the sureties despite an existing court order to do so.
Justice Okon Abang granted the application, saying that the court will henceforth consider only documents verified by the court registrar as the EFCC cannot be punished for contempt.
The court also adjourned for a record third time, the case involving the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mr Olisa Metuh.
Trial for both cases will now resume on April 8 when the EFCC is expected to call more witnesses in Badeh’s trial, and Justice Okon Abang is expected to rule on an earlier application by Metuh’s lawyer asking the court to disqualify itself.