N5bn fraud: Separate trial to determine Nnamani’s fate

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday further adjourned till January 23, 2015, to rule on an application seeking separate trial for a former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, charged with N5bn financialimpropriety.Nnamani was charged alongside  his one-time aide, Sunday Anyaogu, andsix companies –  Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, Hillgate Nigeria Limited, Cosmo FM, Capital City Automobile Nigeria Limited, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had asked Justice Mohammed Yunusa to separate the trial of Nnamani and Anyaogu from that of the companies.The anti-graft commission said  its request for separate trial was borne outof the need to fast-track the trial, which was being stalled by Nnamani’s frequent travels abroad for medical treatment.The ex-governor had said that he was suffering from a disorder of the heart following a surgical operation and had taken several permissions to treat himself outside the country.But the EFCC counsel,  Mr. Kelvin Uzozie, while moving the application for separate trial, said  there was need to conclude the trial on time in order to save the assets of the six companies.According to Uzozie, being corporate entities, the assets of the companies were prone to becoming obsolete or completely eroded if the matter was not decided on time.Noting that the case had lingered for about seven years without much progress, Uzozie urged the court to act decisively and put a stop to what he said had now become a ‘scandal.’But in opposition to the request for separate trials, Nnamani, through his counsel, Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN), filed a counter-affidavit.Tarfa argued that contrary to the EFCC’s allegations, Nnamani had always made himself available for trial after each phase of his medical treatment abroad.He added that the trips were aimed at facilitating the recovery process of Nnamani so as to adequately defend himself.Tarfa stressed that on many occasions, the matter had been adjourned at the instance of the EFCC, and so it was untrue that Nnamani had been using the medical trips to delay the matter.While urging the court to disallow separate trial, Tarfa said that doing so would severely prejudice his client.Justice Yunusa will rule on the application on January 23, 2015.