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Crime Watch: EFCC Re-Arrests Top Suspect For N32.8 Police Pension Theft

By on December 18, 2012

Esai Dangabar was yesterday arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly defrauding the Police Pension Office of N32.8 billion.

Esai Dangabar is one of the six accused persons being prosecuted for the crime, he was arrested after he interfered with some of the property he had forfeited to the Federal Government.

In the wake of the development, The EFCC has cautioned the public against buying any of the forfeited property belonging to Dangabar and other accused persons.

In a statement, “While the public has been warned to stay away from the aforementioned property and other property belonging to the other accused being investigated by the EFCC, trial in the substantive case of Dangabar and others who were arraigned on May 28 comes up on January 28.

The accused is standing trial for about 16 criminal charges bordering on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

Contained in a statement issued by EFCC’s head of media and publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, he was arrested for “interfering with the property which the court had ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.”

The confiscation came following an order from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the statement, “But Dangabar approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division to challenge the order of the High Court to have his property forfeited.

“The Appeal Court, in a unanimous ruling on July 24, dismissed his application. In a ruling read by Justice Kolawole Bada, the court resolved the three issues raised by Dangabar in favour of the EFCC.

“Two other judges who held the same view were Justices Bukar Chua and Husseini Mukhtar. The court ruled that the interim forfeiture order pending the hearing of the criminal charge preferred against him is provided for under the EFCC Act.

“The court, having been given that power, the exercise of it has not taken away the accused’s right to fair hearing.

“The court further ruled that the provisions of Section 28 and 29 of the EFCC Act is validated by Section 44 (2) of the 1999 Constitution and is therefore constitutional. “Additionally, the court ruled that the presumption of innocence cannot be interpreted to allow a suspect retain the proceed of the alleged crime made against him.

“Accordingly, the court ruled that Section 34 of the EFCC Act was substantially complied with by the lower court. He has proceeded to the Supreme Court challenging the Appeal Court judgment.

“Dangabar and his co travellers returned to the High Court to challenge jurisdiction and prayed the court to quash the charges against them. However, on November 12, Justice Mohammed Talba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Gudu, Abuja dismissed the applications to quash charges. The judge said the applicants failed to supply relevant materials before the court to warrant the quashing of the case against them.

“He also said that so far, based on the proof of evidence before the court, the prosecution has presented his case in such a way that a prima-facie has been established against them.”

One Comment

  1. Danab

    December 18, 2012 at 10:04 am

    Criminals, why hiding your faces? let the whole world see your shameless faces.