- As lack of interpreter stalls Suswam’s trial
By Tobi Soniyi
The trial of former Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Raymond Dokpesi, was
stalledon Thursday due to the absence of the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN.
When the matter came up, the defence counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, told the court that shortly before the sitting, he got a letter indicating that the prosecution counsel, Jacobs, sought an adjournment to enable him appear before the Supreme Court.
Olanipekun however urged the court for enough time to enable the EFCC counsel to adjust its other cases which were running on a daily basis.
The trial judge, Justice James Tsoho, adjourned till June15
The trial was also previously adjourned at the instance of the prosecution counsel having filed additional proofs of evidence.
Dokpesi is facing trial for an alleged N2.1 billion fraud. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Meanwhile the inability of the Federal Government to get an interpreter for one of its witnesses on Thursday stalled the trial of former Benue State governor Mr. Gabriel Suswam in the N10 billion alleged fraud charges brought against him.
The Federal High Court in Abuja prosecuting Suswam was stunned when the fourth prosecution witness informed the court that he was an illiterate and did not understand English, the language of the court.
However, all efforts on the part of the prosecution to get an interpreter to interpret in the local language of the witness proved abortive.
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