N544m grass cutting contract scandal: Court discharges, acquits Ex-SGF, Babachir Lawal


 A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, has discharged and aqcuitted a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal from the N544M settlement fraud offences introduced towards him via way of means of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.


The Court on Friday held that the anti-graft company failed woefully to set up prima facie case towards the Ex-SGF.


In a ruling on no case submission made via way of means of Babachir Lawal, Justice Charles Agbaza held that EFCC stated that no substances of any offence become made out via way of means of the eleven witnesses that testified for the EFCC.


The Judge held that EFCC did now no longer set up that Babachir Lawal become both a member of the Presidential Initiative for North East PINE that provided the settlement or a member of the Ministerial Tenders Board that vetted and gave approval to the disputed settlement.


Besides, Justice Agbaza held that EFCC additionally didn't hyperlink Babachir Lawal with Bureau of Public Procurement BPP that issued a certificates of no objection to the settlement earlier than it become provided.


In, the Judge discharged and aqcuitted all of the defendants withinside the 10-rely crook prices towards them for need of proof to hyperlink them with the purported offences.


Babachir Lawal along his more youthful brother, Hamidu Lawal; Suleiman Abubakar; Apeh Monday and  companies, Rholavision Engineering Limited and Josmon Technologies Limited have been prosecuted via way of means of the EFCC earlier than Justice Charles Agbaza.


They confronted a 10-rely price bordering on fraud regarding the elimination of evasive plant species to the music of N544 million for which they pleaded now no longer guilty.


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had on Monday, November 30, 2020 re-arraigned the previous Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal earlier than Justice Agbaza.


One of the prices read, “That you, Engineer Babachir David Lawal, at the same time as being the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and a director of Rholavision Engineering Ltd on or approximately the twenty second August 2016 at Abuja, withinside the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did knowingly preserve in a roundabout way non-public hobby withinside the settlement provided to Josmon Technological Ltd however accomplished via way of means of Rholavision Engineering Ltd for the elimination of invasive plant species and simplified irrigation to the music of N258,132,735.99 (Two Hundred and Fifty-8 Million, One hundred and Thirty- Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty-5 Naira, Ninety-9 kobo) only, via way of means of the workplace of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) aleven though the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE) and thereby devoted an offence punishable beneathneath Section 12 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

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