The financial crimes watchdog, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the decision to declare the ACN chieftain wanted was prompted by his recent alleged evasion of arrest.
EFCC said the ex Governor “fled when operatives of the commission stormed his 32 Suleiman Barau Street, Aso Villa, Asokoro-Abuja residence in the early hours of today.”
According to the image maker, Audu was believed to had embezzled N4bn during his tenure as the Governor of Kogi State between 1999 and 2003.
Hear him: “The latest effort to arrest the ex- governor followed a Supreme Court ruling of November 23, 2012, which dismissed his appeal to continue to protract his corruption trial by the EFCC. The Supreme Court ruling therefore clears the way for his fresh arraignment.”
Uwujaren added, “Audu was arrested in Jos in 2006, after a six months manhunt by operatives of the Commission, before his earlier arraignment at the Kogi State High Court on December 1, 2006, on an 80 counts of conspiracy, fraud, criminal breach of trust and embezzlement of public fund.
“The EFCC had, while the case lasted at the High Court, cause issuance of nolle prosequi by the former Attorney- General of Kogi State, Dr. John Agbonika and the then Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN), on February 8, 2007 for the case to be discontinued at the Kogi State High Court, as the commission claimed to have lost faith in the handling of the matter by the State High Court.
“But rather than discontinue the matter in the spirit of the nolle prosequi, the trial Judge, Justice Medupin, went ahead and referred two questions to the Court of Appeal for determination.”
Earlier in a ruling by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, the Supreme Court said it was not proper for the Court of Appeal to consider the questions referred to it for verdict, knowing fully well that from the records of Appeal that a nolle prosequi had been filed.
Source:Daily Post- http://ngrne.ws/2d4C5M
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