*As prosecution increases charges to five
By Ola Kay
The Department of State Services, DSS, has arraigned former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for allegations bothwring on allegation of unlawfully accessing a telephone conversation involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT is being prosecuted on an amended five-count charge before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
At the commencement of proceedings presided by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, on Thursday, the prosecution informed the court that the charges had been increased from three to five counts.
Upon the mention of the case, DSS lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, informed the court that the matter was fixed for the defendant to take his plea.
Aladedoye, however, told the court that a further amended five-count charge was filed on April 13.
The DSS counsel prayed the court to substitute it with the earlier three-count charge.
On his past, counsel to El.Rufai, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, said he had been served with the amended charge and no opposition to it whatsoever.
“We pray that the earlier charge be struck out, my lord,” he stated. The judge then acted by striking out the first three charges.
After the counts were read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty, and Aladedoye sought three consecutive trial dates.
But Iyamu objected to an application for three consecutive days for the commencement of the trial, submitted that since the defendant had been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, having access to him within the three days of the trial might be difficult.
He said that the three days might not be in his client’s best interest, while informing the court of their bail application which was filed on February 17.
Interestingly, the further affidavit in support of the bail application was not in the court file, and the judge stood down the matter for Iyamu to do the needful.
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