Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja has cautioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against making unfounded statements in a bribery case against Senator Shehu Sani currently before the court.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Abdul Ibrahim, SAN, Mr. Sani’s counsel, continued with the cross-examination of Bako Aliyu, the 10th prosecution witness.
Mr. Aliyu, who is an investigator with the EFCC, said the commission retrieved from MTN service providers, the call log showing conversations between Mr. Sani and the complainant, Sani Dauda, owner of ASD Motors.
He said that the call log was, however, not tendered before the court as evidence.
When asked if the EFCC solicited the support of the police to investigate the case, considering the fact that the former acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, was also accused, the witness replied in the negative.
After the 10th witness was discharged from the witness box, the prosecuting counsel attempted to call another witness but the judge refused.
The judge insisted that the EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, who had been handling the matter, should continue with the case, in order to avoid controversies with the proceedings.
Mr. Sani’s counsel had earlier drawn the court’s attention to a publication by the EFCC on its Twitter page saying what was reported by the EFCC was not what transpired in court.
Justice Ekwo warned the prosecution against distorting facts saying that there would be consequences if the proceedings of the court were misrepresented.
“The court of public opinion is not a court of coordinate jurisdiction. It is this court that has the last say at the end of this matter. Not the court of public opinion.”
“From the beginning of this case, I have said the records of this case are public records and it can be obtained by anybody including the media,” the judge said.
“I don’t want to hear about distorted publications again,” he said.
The judge adjourned the matter until May 24 for continuation.
The EFCC is prosecuting the former senator on a two-count charge bordering on influence peddling and obtaining the sum of 25,000 dollars from Mr. Dauda to allegedly bribe the EFCC to shield him from being investigated.
