Journalists and members of the public who came to the Federal
High Court, Gombe, yesterday, to hear the continuation of the trial of
former governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Muhammadu Goje, were
disappointed, as they met an empty court.
Counsel to the former governor, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, SAN, had earlier written to the court that his client, Goje, would not be available in court, citing a medical trip abroad as his reason.
Similarly, it was also learnt that the trial Judge, Justice Olaide Quadri, travelled for a workshop and only resumed same day.
Goje, who is at present, serving as a senator, is facing an 18- count charge of conspiracy and money laundering along with Alhaji Aliyu El-Nafarty (former Chairman, Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board), Alhaji Sambo Mohammed Tumu (the ex- governor’s cousin and food supplier to Government House) and S.M. Dakoro, a businessman.
They were said to have conspired to defraud the state of about N25 billion which represented proceeds of illegal acts, contrary to and punishable under Sections 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2011 as amended.
At the last sitting last December 9, defence counsel, Akintola, had argued that his clients had no case to answer, adding that the former governor, for instance, was given executive powers by the constitution to act executively, by fiat, even in the award of contracts or appropriation of funds without reporting to anybody.
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