Nigeria Content Online

The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said its counsel
prosecuting top officials of the National Gallery of Arts, is afraid
for his life and the commission is no longer comfortable with both its
lawyer and witnesses appearing before that court over an alleged N2.2bn
fraud.

At the resumed
hearing of the case yesterday, the commission, through its counsel
Steve Odiase, told trial judge, Olukayode Adeniyi that the EFCC
authority instructed him to seek an immediate transfer of the case-file
to the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, following threats
by some undisclosed persons to kill him over the matter.

Mr Odiase, who came
to court yesterday with two heavily armed mobile police escorts,
further read one of the threat massages he said was sent to his phone
last night, adding that the operations department of the EFCC has
already commenced investigations aimed at unravelling those behind it.

“Last night they
sent me another one, and I promptly reported it to the police and the
director of operations in EFCC, Steven Otutoju. This was how they
killed our forensic expert in Kaduna recently, we no longer feel
protected in this court and therefore want the case-file transferred”.

The latest threat
message, according to him, reads: “You still have the honourable option
of opting out of Musa’s case now or accept the choice of preparing your
funeral oration yourself and or the possible extermination of your
family. This is the final warning!”.

No withdrawal

But Mr Adeniyi
refused to hands-off of the trial as requested by the EFCC, maintaining
that there was no basis for the anti-graft agency to seek a withdrawal
of the case-file.

“I will not
concede to this request because there is no basis to seek the
withdrawal of this case, if you are being threatened by anybody, then
report it to the police or other relevant agencies,” Mr Adeniyi said.
“Justice is a 3-way traffic. The accused persons were arraigned before
this court on July 7, 2009, and since then the case has suffered series
of adjournment at the instance of the prosecution.”

Those on trial are
the former Director-General of the establishment, Joe Musa; Director of
Finance, Olusegun Ogunba; Director of Research & Education, Dr.
Kweku Tandoh and Deputy Director Administration of the Gallery, Oparagu
Elizabeth.

They face a
14-count criminal charge bothering on alleged misappropriation,
falsification of account and illegal diversion of public funds
totalling over N2.2 billion.

Before the matter was adjourned till January 20, counsels to all the
accused persons took-turn to plead that the court strikes out the case
for want of diligent prosecution, alleging that the EFCC was being used
to witch-hunt them unnecessarily.