…As witness says Ribadu, ICPC chair confirmed El-Rufai’s open confession in media interview
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday, told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, that family members of former governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai are allegedly inciting public opinion against the judiciary over the former governor’s detention and bail conditions.
Counsel to the DSS, Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, made the accusation before the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik shortly after the case was called for trial continuation.
Aladedoye told the court that relatives of the former governor had repeatedly used social media and press engagement to portray the prosecution and security agencies as persecuting the defendant, citing an incident on May 15 where one of El-Rufai’s wives allegedly arrived at the ICPC’s facility with cameramen and began livestreaming and claiming that her husband was being denied food and access to family members.
The SAN further alleged that a popular politician also published claims, suggesting El-Rufai could be harmed in custody, forcing security operatives to move him to DSS custody to avoid further controversy.
According to the prosecution, the situation escalated when members of the defendant’s family, including two wives and a son, reportedly went to the DSS headquarters with journalists and publicly criticised the court’s bail conditions.
Aladedoye argued that rather than pursue their grievances through legal channels, the family resorted to media campaigns capable of undermining public confidence in the judiciary.
He therefore, urged the court to caution the defendant and his family against further public attacks, insisting that the matter before the court was a criminal prosecution and not a political persecution.
Responding, defence counsel, E. E. Ekere, said he was unaware of the allegations raised by the prosecution and submitted that El-Rufai should not be held responsible for comments made outside the courtroom.
He said, the defence team would advise the ex-govenor’s family members and sympathisers to exercise restraint.
In her reaction, Justice Abdulmalik said, she pays no attention to social media narratives adding that, issues circulating online should remain outside courtroom proceedings and directed that the trial should continue.
The prosecution counsel then called the 1st prosecution witness (PW1), identified as APC, to continue his evidence.
Aladedoye then tendered a silver flash drive and a certificate of compliance through the witness, which were admitted as Exhibits B and B1 respectively.
The judge directed that the video recording of interview granted by El-Rufai, which is saved in the flash drive be played in the open court.
The DSS witness told the court that the NSA confirmed that the conversation referenced between him and the chairman of ICPC by El-Rufai in his Arise TV interview, indeed took place between them.
The witness, codenames APC for security reasons, told the court that following the broadcast, investigators interviewed the NSA who verbally confirmed that he actually had such discussion with the ICPC chairman, Musa Aliyu.
The DSS lawyer then sought to tender the silver flash drive containing the media interview and a certificate of compliance in evidence.
Aladedoye, who led the witness in evidence, said the flash drive was a replacement for the one that was faulty the previous day, which the court admitted in evidence.
The judge then directed that the video in the flash drive, containing an interview granted by El-Rufai to Arise News, be played in open cout.Entertainment News Feed
The 43-minute long recorded video where the ex-governor allegedly stated that someone had wiretapped a conversation involving the NSA and forwarded it to him, was played.
In the interview, El-Rufai made efforts to justify the act by arguing that governments routinely monitor communications.
The witness, who started giving evidence on Monday, said shortly after the interview was aired, investigators interviewed Ribadu and Aliyu.
The witness said the anchor of the programme, Charles Aniagolu; a lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, and a cameraman were invited for questioning.
The witness said Aniagolu confirmed that El-Rufai admitted during the interview that someone intercepted the conversation and passed it to him
Aladedoye later tendered statements obtained from Aniagolu and Adeyanju, which were admitted by the judge in evidence and marked as exhibits, without objection from the defence.
The judge also admitted another statement made by an Arise TV cameraman, Ugochukwu Agalayana, in evidence and marked as exhibit.
The former governor is being prosecuted over alleged breach of national security.
El-Rufai, who was arraigned on April 23 for allegedly intercepting the phone conversations of the telephone line of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, pleaded not guilty to the five-count further amended charge.
After the cross-examination of the witness, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter till June 22 and June 23 for continuation of trial.
END
Comments