Contempt: Court overturns EFCC president, Bawa's conviction
On Thursday, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja overturned its previous order to jail Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for contempt.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Maitama FCT High Court Judge Chizoba Oji convicted Mr. Bawa of contempt of court.
But acting on a motion filed by Mr Bawa, Ms Oji reversed her October 28 decision, which ordered the Inspector General of Police to arrest the EFCC boss for jailing at the Kuje Jail in Abuja.
In the petition dated November 10, Mr. Bawa cited relevant articles of the Nigerian constitution and procedural laws of the court, urging the judge to quash his conviction.
READ ALSO:Deciding on the request, Ms Oji expressed her satisfaction that the EFCC President did not ignore the court orders, asking him to release the seized assets belonging to Rufus Ojuawo, Deputy Marshal of the air retired.
The judge found that the evidence before her showed that Mr Bawa had complied with the court order, ordering the EFCC to return a Range Rover Sport vehicle worth 40 million of naira, which he had confiscated from Mr. Ojuawo, the Nigerian's former director of operations. Air Force.
Ms Oji said: "I hereby set aside the entire contempt proceeding in Case No. FCT/HC/CR/184/2016 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and AVM Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo.
"That I further unconditionally quash the contempt conviction of the Applicant, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission."
The EFCC had in a statement on Tuesday explained that it had handed over the Range Rover car to the claimant on June 27, 2022 and was in the process of releasing the remaining 40 million naira.
Also blaming Mr. Bawa's conviction, the commission said he had not received Forms 48 and 49 required to initiate contempt proceedings.
The court had convicted the chairman of the EFCC and ordered the Inspector General of Police to put him in Kuje Jail in Abuja for disobeying an earlier order.
The sentencing of Mr. Bawa follows a request by Mr. Ojuawo, accusing the president of the EFCC of refusing to return his seized assets.
Mr. Ojuawo was prosecuted by the EFCC for bribery but was acquitted by another FCT High Court judge.
The order releasing Mr. Ojuawo's properties has existed since Ibrahim Magu's tenure as Acting President of the EFCC.
The commission continued to flout the court order after Mr. Bawa became president of the EFCC in February 2021.
Support the integrity and credibility journalism of PREMIUM TIMES Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can guarantee the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy and a transparent government. For free and continued access to the best investigative journalism in the country, we ask that you consider providing modest support to this noble endeavour. By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you help sustain relevant journalism and keep it free and accessible to everyone.Donate
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On Thursday, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja overturned its previous order to jail Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for contempt.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Maitama FCT High Court Judge Chizoba Oji convicted Mr. Bawa of contempt of court.
But acting on a motion filed by Mr Bawa, Ms Oji reversed her October 28 decision, which ordered the Inspector General of Police to arrest the EFCC boss for jailing at the Kuje Jail in Abuja.
In the petition dated November 10, Mr. Bawa cited relevant articles of the Nigerian constitution and procedural laws of the court, urging the judge to quash his conviction.
READ ALSO:Deciding on the request, Ms Oji expressed her satisfaction that the EFCC President did not ignore the court orders, asking him to release the seized assets belonging to Rufus Ojuawo, Deputy Marshal of the air retired.
The judge found that the evidence before her showed that Mr Bawa had complied with the court order, ordering the EFCC to return a Range Rover Sport vehicle worth 40 million of naira, which he had confiscated from Mr. Ojuawo, the Nigerian's former director of operations. Air Force.
Ms Oji said: "I hereby set aside the entire contempt proceeding in Case No. FCT/HC/CR/184/2016 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and AVM Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo.
"That I further unconditionally quash the contempt conviction of the Applicant, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission."
The EFCC had in a statement on Tuesday explained that it had handed over the Range Rover car to the claimant on June 27, 2022 and was in the process of releasing the remaining 40 million naira.
Also blaming Mr. Bawa's conviction, the commission said he had not received Forms 48 and 49 required to initiate contempt proceedings.
The court had convicted the chairman of the EFCC and ordered the Inspector General of Police to put him in Kuje Jail in Abuja for disobeying an earlier order.
The sentencing of Mr. Bawa follows a request by Mr. Ojuawo, accusing the president of the EFCC of refusing to return his seized assets.
Mr. Ojuawo was prosecuted by the EFCC for bribery but was acquitted by another FCT High Court judge.
The order releasing Mr. Ojuawo's properties has existed since Ibrahim Magu's tenure as Acting President of the EFCC.
The commission continued to flout the court order after Mr. Bawa became president of the EFCC in February 2021.
Support the integrity and credibility journalism of PREMIUM TIMES Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can guarantee the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy and a transparent government. For free and continued access to the best investigative journalism in the country, we ask that you consider providing modest support to this noble endeavour. By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you help sustain relevant journalism and keep it free and accessible to everyone.Donate
[embedded content]TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT: Call Willie - +2348098788999
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