N16.9m fraud: Court threatens to strike out case

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Following another application for adjournment by counsel to the EFCC

Justice Abubakar Umar of the FCT High court on Thursday threatened to strike out a suit filed by the EFCC against a Polish woman, Mrs Dora Gilmaska, a suspect in a fraud case.

Umar made the threat, following another application for adjournment by counsel to the EFCC, Mr Samuel Ugwuegbulam, after the anti-graft agency again failed to arraign the suspect.

Gilmaska, the Executive Officer of Icon Media and Marketing Agency Ltd., is facing a four-count charge of obtaining N16.9 million from one Tayo Olugbemi under false pretence and issuing dud cheques.

The counsel said the commission was unable to re-arrest the accused, who jumped the administrative bail it granted her in September 2011.

Justice Umar expressed disgust over the failure of the EFCC to arraign the suspect and recalled that the court had granted it leave in August 2011 to bring the suspect, warning that this would be the last adjournment.

“It has been over a year now and still the EFCC is coming up with excuses.

“If the EFCC is not ready to prosecute and bring cases to a conclusion, it should not apply for leave of court to arraign anybody.

“This is the last adjournment I will be giving the EFCC. If by Nov. 8, you are not ready, I will strike out this suit.

“I cannot have it on my list for over a year now and we are still at arraignment stage and I am being told that they?cannot find the suspect.

“The EFCC should know that I am answerable to the National Judicial Council and what will I say is the reason why this case has been at arraignment stage for over a year?

“If the EFCC I know is serious and wants to bring any suspect to court, they will quickly do so.

“The EFCC granted her the administrative bail, the same EFCC who should know where the suspect lives, is telling me that they do not know where she is,” he said.

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