A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the request of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to take over a case involving a former Special Assistant to the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
Justice Okon Abang ruled that the AGF had the power to take over the case under Section 174 (1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
The case involved 13 counts of money laundering against Dasuki’s former aide, Shaibu Teidi Ashinze, an Austrian national, Wolfgang Reinl, and two others.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had re-arraigned the defendants on the charges, but the AGF’s representative, David Kaswe, informed the court of the office’s takeover of the case.
Following the AGF’s takeover, Kaswe requested the withdrawal of the charges against the defendants.
The defence counsel did not oppose the application but requested that the court make a consequential order discharging and acquitting their clients of the charges.
Justice Abang, however, held that it would be unlawful to acquit the defendants at that stage of the trial.
The judge struck out the amended charge and discharged all nine defendants.
