The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday discharged media mogul Raymond Dokpesi and his firm, Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited, of the charges of money laundering breach of Procurement Act in relation to disbursement of the N2.1billion meant for arms purchase while Col Sambo Dasuki (retd.) was the national security adviser in 2014.
A three-man panel, ruling in two unanimous judgments upheld the two appeals by Mr Dokpesi and Daar Investment and set aside an earlier ruling of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which rejected the no-case submissions made by the appellants.
Reading the judgments on Thursday, Justice Elfreda Wiialims-Daudu held the prosecution did not make out a prima facie case against the appellants and did not also establish the elements of the offences charge to warrant the appellants to be called upon to enter defence.
Dokpesi and Daar Investment were being tried before the Federal High Court on a seven-count charge of money laundering and breach of Procurement Act by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
More to follow…
