$9.5m FIFA Grant: Court adjourns EFCC’s application for inclusion of top NFF officials
A Federal Capital Teritory High Court has adjourned the application of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the inclusion of two top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation in the amended charges of corruption to May 30.
Counsel to the Nigeria Football Federation Barrister Festus Ikpe, in the alleged corruption charges of $9.5m FIFA Grant on Tuesday said that the five officials involved in the case have already been arraigned before an Abuja Magistrate Court .
Ukpe argued that his clients cannot be arraigned for the same corruption case in two separate courts at the same time but failed to present documents to show that the NFF officials are facing corruption trials in a lower court before the Federal High Court.
EFCC had on 23rd April 2019 filed an application for amendment of the charges to include two additional top NFF officials thus, prayed before the court for the amendment charge to be part of the proceeding supported by court affidavit 6.
Economic and Financial Crime Commission lawyer, Barrister Steve Odiase claimed the anti-corruption agency are not aware of any court proceeding on the same matter. He argued that no documents have been forwarded to them in that regards.
However, there was a mild drama when Justice Peter Affen asked Ukpe to present documents showing that the top NFF officials have been charged or arraigned before another court.
Ukpe who failed to present any document to show that his clients have been charged in a magistrate court further defended himself by making reference to the warrant of arrest (though he couldn’t present the documents) granted by magistrate court to the Special Presidential Investigative Panel (SPIP) as an evidence that they have been arraigned in an Abuja Magistrate court.
The High Court then adjourned the case to 30th May, 2019 for NFF to present documents showing that they have been arraigned in another court on the same alleged corruption case.