The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to remove the founder of DAAR Communications PLC, Aleogho Dokpesi from its watch list.
Justice Tsoho held that there was no justification to keep Dokpesi on the watch list since there is no criminal charge or allegation pending against him.
Ruling on an application filed and argued by his counsel, Kanu Agabi, the Chief Judge said that keeping Dokpesi on the watch list will amount to disobedience of the Court of Appeal judgement which in April 2021 quashed the N2.1 billion money laundering charges against Dokpesi.
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The court upheld the no-case submission filed by Dokpesi and DAAR Investment Holdings in the 7-count criminal charge.
In the judgement, Justice Elfreda Williams-Dawodu had held that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against Dokpesi in the charges as the ingredients of the offences were not provided by the prosecution as required by law.
The court had further held that EFCC failed to prove that the N2.1 billion allegedly received by the appellant as payment was a proceed of breach of trust.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had in November 2018 dismissed the no-case submission filed by Dokpesi on the grounds that a prima facie case had been established against him by the EFCC in the alleged N2.1 billion money laundering.
Not satisfied with the ruling Dokpesi approached the Court of Appeal and asked that the ruling of the lower court be set aside and his no case submission be upheld.
Justice William-Dowodu in a unanimous judgement in April 1, 2021 held that there was nothing in the evidence of the 14 witnesses called by EFCC to persuade the court to compel the appellant to enter a defence in the charges where ingredients of the offence were not provided.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
