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The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an eight-count forgery charge against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the alleged non-existent Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the charge on Monday following an application by the Federal Government to terminate proceedings in the case.
The government was represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who informed the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had reviewed the case file and identified issues that necessitated the withdrawal of the charge.
According to the prosecution, the government intends to transfer the case to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for a fresh arraignment of the defendant.
The application was not opposed by Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, paving the way for the court to strike out the charge.
Government identifies issues in case
Addressing the court, Oyedepo explained that the AGF had taken over the prosecution from the police at the previous adjourned date and subsequently conducted a review of the case.
He told the court that the review revealed some loopholes that informed the decision to withdraw the existing charge.
The prosecution also argued that the alleged forged documents linked to Adeyemi’s activities could be prosecuted at the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.
The government’s decision to withdraw the charge is intended to pave the way for fresh proceedings before the appropriate court.
However, the withdrawal and striking out of the charge do not amount to a judicial determination of Adeyemi’s guilt or innocence on the allegations.
Adeyemi had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which bordered on forgery, fraud and impersonation.
Defendant had been remanded in Kuje
Adeyemi had been in detention since July 14, when he was arrested pursuant to a bench warrant issued by the court.
Following his arraignment and plea of not guilty, the court ordered his remand at Kuje Prison and adjourned the matter for further proceedings.
The defendant subsequently applied for bail, urging the court to consider his request on health grounds.
He reportedly told the court that he was suffering from a contagious ailment that required urgent medical attention from his doctors.
The prosecution opposed the bail application, maintaining that the government had adequate medical facilities to address his health needs while in custody.
The planned hearing of the bail application was, however, overtaken by the Federal Government’s decision to withdraw the charge.
Presidential aide, others listed as witnesses
Meanwhile, several individuals had been listed as potential witnesses in the case before the charge was withdrawn.
They included the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.
Other proposed witnesses were civil servants in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, including Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The Federal Government is expected to pursue the matter through fresh proceedings at the FCT High Court, following the prosecution’s stated intention to re-arraign Adeyemi.
The outcome of any subsequent proceedings will determine how the allegations against the defendant are addressed by the court.
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