Plea bargain talks fail, N22.8bn fraud case against ex-COAS Amosu, others resume

It is clear that the plea bargain talks between the EFCC and a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.), has failed as the court resumed trial on his alleged involvement in N22.8billion fraud.

This is as court on Thursday opened the case against him and 10 others involved in the fraud allegation.

Amosun and the 10 others were charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos on June 29, 2016, but on July 8, 2016, they made known their intention to enter into a plea bargain with the EFCC and sought for an adjournment to allow them the opportunity to perfect their bail terms and finalise their talks with the anti-graft agency.

However, in what appears like a breakdown of plea bargain talks between the two parties, at the resumption of proceedings in the case on Thursday, the prosecutor opened its case and called its first witness against the defendants.

Read also: N22.8bn fraud: Ex COAS Amosun opts for plea bargain with EFCC

Amosu is standing trial along two other officers of the Nigerian Air Force – Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun and Air Commodore Gbadebo Olugbenga.

They are accused of fraud by the EFCC alongside eight companies, namely: Delfina Oil and Gas Limited, Mcallan Oil and Gas Limited, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Limited, Trapezites BDC, and Fonds and Pricey Limited.

One of the allegations against them by the anti-graft agency is that they conspired among themselves on March 5, 2014 to convert N21.5bn belonging to the Nigerian Air Force to their personal use, an act the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, said is a violation of Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.

 

 

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