Ex-NIMASA boss seeks to stop trial

FORMER Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Raymond Omatseye Wednesday prayed a Federal High Court, Lagos to stay further proceedings in his trial.

    Omatseye is being tried before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N1.5 billion contract scam offence.

    The ex-NIMASA boss hinged his prayers on the ground that he had filed an appeal against the judge’s ruling in which his no case application was dismissed. As a result, he is asking the court to stay proceedings pending the outcome of that appeal.

Justice Ajumogobia had earlier dismissed Omatseye’s no-case application over his failure to discredit the evidences adduced by the EFCC in the case.

    Justice Ajumogobia also declared that she did not find any difficulty in agreeing with the prosecution that the counts in question were properly drafted in accordance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act (PPA).

    However, dissatisfied with the ruling, Omatseye lodged an appeal at the appellate court asking that the decision of the lower court be set aside.

    He is also seeking for an order of the appellate court dismissing the charges against him in its entirety and subsequently an order discharging and acquitting him of the alleged commission of the offences.

    He lodged the appeal on three grounds. One of which is that the learned trial judge erred in law when the she held that a prima facie case has been established by the prosecution against the appellant sufficient to call on him to enter his defence to the charges.

    Hearing of the stay of proceedings application has been fixed for February 26.

    Omatseye is standing trial on an amended 27-count charge of alleged contract scam slammed on him by the anti-graft agency.

    He was re-arraigned on January 21, 2013. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was then granted bail.

    The prosecution opened its case on February 4, 2013, by calling on its first witness, Ibrahim Ahmed, an Investigating Police Officer with the

EFCC.

 On May 30, 2013, EFCC called his second witness, Mohammed Shehu, a former Acting Director of Procurement at NIMASA.

The third witness was Aminu Aliyu, a staff of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

    All the witnesses had given various testimonies before the court as to the nature and form of contract awarded by the accused while serving as DG of NIMASA.

    In the charge, the accused was said to have been involved in contract splitting and bid rigging estimated at over N1.5 billion.

    The offence is said to contravene the provisions of Sections 58(4) (d) of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

    It also contravenes the provisions of sections 14(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004.