Ex-nimasa Boss Opts For Plea Bargain With Efcc

Source: thewillnigeria.com

SAN FRANCISCO, October 25, (THEWILL) – Haruna Jauro, a former Acting Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has proposed to enter a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Jauro is among four ex-NIMASA chiefs charged with corruption-related offences at the Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged N304.1million fraud.

Others are Patrick Akpobolokemi, Calistus Obi and Temisan Omatseye, who was convicted.

Mr. Jauro, Dauda Bawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Ltd., were arraigned on a 19-count charge, on April 12 , of converting N304.1 million belonging to NIMASA.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to bail in the sum of N5 million each with two sureties each in like sum.

Trial was billed to resume Monday before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola, but defence counsel Babajide Koku (SAN) said his client had begun plea bargain talks with the prosecution while counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, confirmed to the court that the accused had approached the anti-graft agency to explore the option of a plea bargain.

Consequently, Justice Olatoregun-Ishola urged the parties to reach an agreement without delay and fixed November 21 for a report on the plea bargain process.

“By the time you come back, you would have filed the plea bargain agreement and I would have looked at it and evaluated it,” she said.

Story by Oputah David