Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
A Federal High Court Abuja has granted an application to list former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as a prosecution witness in a trial involving the misapplication of the N2.5 billion federal government Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme seed grant.
The application was granted yesterday by Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa in respect of the application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
This followed the withdrawal of the objection earlier raised by the defendants.
The matter is the 12-count money laundering and abuse of office instituted by ICPC against the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo-Kawu, and others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that after calling two witnesses, the ICPC filed the application seeking to add the former minister and Shuaibu Sabo, a Bureau de Change operator, as additional witnesses in the trial.
Counsel to Omoluwa and Onifade, Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN), had filed a motion prohibiting the prosecution from listing Mohammed and Sabo as additional witnesses.
At the resumed hearing of the trial yesterday, Mr Abayomi Oyelola, who held the brief of Iziyon, said they were withdrawing the motion opposing the list of additional witnesses by the ICPC.
Justice Oginbanjo-Giwa, thereafter, struck out the motion by the defendants.
