Arms Deal: FG Charges Dokpesi For Money Laundering

Raymond Dokpesi, the chairman of Daar communications has been charged to court by the federal government on Tuesday, December 8, over alleged receipt of N2.1 billion from the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki from funds meant for the purchase of arms.

The Nation reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has preferred six counts against the media entrepreneur.

He is being charged alongside his company – Daar Holding and Investment Limited.
Dokpesi is accused of violating the Money Laundering Act, the EFCC Act and the Public Procurement Act.  As at the time of filing in this report, no judge has been assigned the case.

The media proprietor is the second person so far charged in connection to misappropriation of funds meant for the purchase of arms for the military under the immediate past administration.

Dokpesi was quizzed for three days by the EFCC over the revelation that he and his company received over N2.1 billion from the Dasuki and was released after he fulfilled his bail conditions by the anti-graft agency.

A federal high court in Abuja, presided by Justice Gabriel Kolawole ,had on Friday, December 4, ordered the EFCC to produced Dokpesi.

The order came after an ex-parte application by Dokpesi, who stated that he have been unlawfully detained beyond 48-hour by the EFCC.

Justice Kolawole , who he heard Dokpesi’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) in chambers, asked the anti-graft agency to produce Dokpesi before his court on the next hearing date of December 14.
The lawyer, who spoke to journalists about whatr transpired in the judge’s chambers, explained that the judge asked the EFCC to prove why he should not grant Dokpesi’s request of unconditional or conditional bail.

Dokpesi in his application before the court had requested for an order compelling the respondent to produce the applicant who is presently in its custody or any other place of detention before the court on the date of hearing.

He also requested that the applicant is bail on self-recognition or on such favourable and liberal terns as the court may deem fit to make the circumstances of the case, pending the formal arraignment of the applicant before a court of law.

Dokpesi argument is based on the premise that no formal charge has been brought against him after 48-hour in detention.

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