Fakoyejo OlalekanThe Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Abdurasheed Bawa, has appealed the court ruling demanding for his imprisonment.
Prime Business Africa had reported that Bawa was said to have been in contempt of court by Justice Chizoba Oji due to the anti-graft agency’s refusal to return N40 million cash and a Range Rover Sport seized from Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo.
EFCC had filed a two count charge against Ojuawo in 2016, accusing him of receiving the cash and vehicle as bribe to perform his duty from Hima Aboubakar of Societe D’Equipment Internationaux Nigeria Limited.
In 2018, Justice Muawiyah Idris had ruled that EFCC failed to provide substantial evidence to support their claims against Ojuawo, so the cash and car should be returned to him.
Two years after, Ojuawo is yet to receive his belongings, and following a court order on October 28, the Inspector General of Police was directed to arrest Bawa and remand him in Kuji prison.
Justice Orji had stated, “the Chairman Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is in contempt of the orders of this honourable court made on November 21st 2018 directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abuja to return to the applicant his Range Rover (Super charge) and the sum of N40, 000,000.00 (Forty Million Naira).”
Justice Orji added, “Having continued wilfully in disobedience to the order of this court, he should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre for his disobedience, and continued disobedience of the said order of court made on November 21st, 2018, until he purges himself of the contempt.”
Addressing the court’s directive, the EFCC boss said he has appealed the order, “Well, we have appealed against it, so we allow the natural course of law to take its effect.”
He made this known on Tuesday during the 2023 budget defence with the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption.
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