SCORENigeria has specially gathered that a plot has been hatched for tomorrow’s corruption trial that will join NFF president Amaju Pinnick and general secretary Mohammed Sanusi in the alleged theft of over $10 million FIFA grant not to take place in Abuja.
The case is number CR/324/18 and it is between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and three NFF accounts staff members – Christopher Andekin, Rajan Zaka and Jafaru Mamza.
It is to take place in Court 18 in Maitama, Abuja.
Justice Peter Affen of the FCT High Court fixed February 20 to give his ruling on an application by the prosecution, the EFCC, to amend its charges and join Pinnick and Sanusi along with three NFF accounts staff in the alleged theft of monies meant for the development of football in Nigeria.
A top source alleged: “The plot is for the ‘critical parties’ not to show up in court tomorrow and that will therefore force the case to suffer yet another adjournment.”
The case has already suffered several adjournments until in December, when the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) came forward to say it no longer has any objection for Justice Affen to rule on the EFCC application to amend its charges to include Pinnick and Sanusi.
Last year, three NFF accounts staff members were arraigned and have since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, a petition caused EFCC to seek for Pinnick and Sanusi to be joined as accused persons after they were initially named merely as “witnesses” in the matter.
Legal experts said both Pinnick and Sanusi are authorising and approving officers and it was impossible for the three arraigned staff to divert these monies into their private accounts as EFCC investigations revealed without the instructions and knowledge of their bosses.
