N984m contract scam: Bankole has a case to answer -Court

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, ruled that the embattled former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has a case to answer and must, therefore, face trial over the allegations of alleged inflation of contracts involving the sum of N984 million.

Besides, the court dismissed Bankole’s objection against the prosecutorial powers of Mr Festus Keyamo as baseless in law.

The former speaker had, through his counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, challenged the competence and prosecutorial powers of the lawyer to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Festus Keyamo, to prosecute him on the 16-count charges.

Bankole had  asked the court to quash the charges against him.

Justice Okorowo, in his ruling on the application on Monday, agreed with Keyamo that there was a nexus linking the former speaker with the offences brought against him.

He said by the express provisions of section 33 (1) of the Federal High Court rules, criminal proceedings were summary in nature and did not required a detailed proof of evidence.

He said: “Criminal proceedings shall be conducted substantially in line with the Criminal Procedure Act, therefore, criminal trial before this court is by summary trial.

“Where a prosecutor filed a proof of evidence that is not in detail, the court cannot quash a charge against an accused person because he is not bound by it. So, the insufficiency of a proof of evidence is immaterial at this stage.

“Besides, the court must be cautious not to get into the merit of the case at this stage, but to look whether there is a nexus between the accused and the offence.”