A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the director general of the National Broadcasting Commission, Ishaq Kawu, to appear before it in April, regardless of his health status.
The court, in a ruling on
Friday, asked Mr Kawu’s lawyers to produce the defendant “even if he
has to come to court on a stretcher”.
Mr Kawu and others are
facing trial for allegedly diverting funds meant for the digital switch
over system introduced by the Nigerian government.
He is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related offences Commission (ICPC).
A
statement from the commission on Tuesday, signed by its spokesperson
Rashida Okoduwa, said the latest order on Mr Kawu was made by Justice
Giwa.
Mr Kawu, who was to be arraigned alongside Lucky Omoluwa
and Dipo Onifade, Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Limited and the
Chief Operating Officer respectively, over their alleged complicity in
the mismanagement of the N2.5 billion seed grant, failed to appear
before Justice F. O. Giwa, saying he was on admission at the University
of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State.
The statement
quoted Mr Kawu’s lawyer as saying that the defendant was on admission
following recent medical challenges from a surgery he underwent a decade
ago.
Mr Kawu’s lawyer requested an adjournment of the case.
The
lawyer representing the ICPC, Henry Emore, did not oppose the
application for adjournment but requested the court to note the repeated
adjournments at the instance of the accused.
In a ruling, the
commission quoted the judge, F. O. Giwa, as saying that the defendant
must appear in court for the trial to proceed.
“You must ensure
that your client is in court even if he has to be on a stretcher; I am
agreeing to this adjournment taking into cognizance his health issues,
but the trial needs to go on, you must ensure he is in court next time,”
she said.
“The judge further ordered ICPC to investigate the medical certificate and report back to the court,” the statement said.
Source:- Premiumtimesng
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