$15.5m fraud: Conviction of Dudafa’s companies stands, says judge

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday dismissed an application seeking to change the guilty plea of four companies charged with laundering a sum of $15.5m. The four companies were linked to a former Special Adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa. They are Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development & Investment Co. Limited, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited, and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on September 15, 2016, arraigned the four companies alongside Dudafa; a lawyer, Amajuoyi Briggs; and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku, for allegedly laundering $15.5m. But while Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty to the charges, the four companies, represented by their directors, pleaded guilty. They were consequently convicted by Justice Babs Kuewumi, but the judge reserved their sentence till the conclusion of the cases of the other defendants who pleaded not guilty. However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, later appeared in court, urging the court to change the companies’ guilty plea to ‘not guilty’, contending that the directors who entered the guilty plea on behalf of the companies were fake. In a ruling on Tuesday, however, Justice Kuewumi dismissed Ozekhome’s application, saying he could not reverse himself. The judge held, “The main issue to be addressed in this application is whether this court can revisit its earlier decision whereby the applicants were convicted. “Once a court gives an order or judgment, it has no legal competence to reverse itself or set aside its previous order. “Considering the circumstances of this case, I have not been shown any valid reason to make me revisit my decision. This court is already functus officio. “I’m in agreement with the prosecution that this application is incompetent. It is hereby refused and accordingly dismissed.” The judge adjourned further hearing in the case till October 17, 2018.]]>