By Samuel Oyejola
FORMER Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi has been discharged and acquitted of N2.6 billion fraud by the Court of Appeal Lagos.
The appellate court overruled the decision of Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos, who had on Oct. 16, 2017, dismissed Akpobolokemi’s no-case submission.
In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Yargatta Nimpar, the court upheld the no-case submission filed by Akpolokemi in response to the criminal charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Nimpar discharged and acquitted Akpobolokemi of the entire 22 counts.
The Anti-graft Agency had on Dec. 4, 2015, arraigned Akpobolokemi alongside five others for allegedly diverting N2.6billion from the coffers of NIMASA between December 2013 and May 2015.
The prosecution claimed that the funds were approved by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, for the implementation of a security project tagged, “International Ship and Ports Security Code in Nigerian Ports.”
Others charged alongside Akpobolokemi were Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan, Blockz and Stonz Ltd and Al-Kenzo Logistics Ltd.
The court, however, ordered that Agaba, Nwakuche, Juan, Blockz and Stonz Ltd and Al-Kenzo Logistics Ltd, had cases to answer.
Justice Nimpar, therefore ordered them to go back to the lower court for trial to continue.
