Akwa Ibom's Senator Bassey challenges jurisdiction of Lagos court to try him for receiving 12 luxury vehicles

AKWA Ibom Northeast Senatorial District lawmaker Senator Albert Bassey is challenging the jurisdiction of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute him in Lagos after he and his business associate oil baron Olajide Omokore were charged with 14 counts of bribery and corruption.

Senator Bassey, 45, and Mr Omokore who were accused of being involved in a bribery scandal worth N254m, however, challenged the jurisdiction of an IKEA Special Offences Court to try them. According to the EFCC, Senator Bassey received 12 vehicles between 2010 and 2014 from Mr Omokore, when he served as the Akwa Ibom State commissioner for finance.

They are both facing a 14-count charge bordering on corruption before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo. However, their counsels, Solomon Umoh and Olatunde Adejuyigbe, respectively, have filed a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear their case, contending that the court had no power to hear the substantive case.

Mr Umoh, acting as Senator Bassey’s counsel, argued that there was nothing before the court to prove that the alleged crime against his client was committed outside Akwa Ibom State or in Lagos State. According to Mr Umoh, the only place where the trial should take place is within Akwa Ibom State.

He added: “There is nothing in the proof of evidence that suggested that any aspect of the alleged crime against the first defendant was committed outside Akwa Ibom State and in Lagos State. Happily, the prosecution has narrowed everything down that it was cars that was delivered to the first defendant by the second defendant.

“So we want to ask where were the cars delivered to so we can know what Lagos has to do with Akwa Ibom State but we have provided the answers in our argument, the cars were delivered in Akwa-Ibom State. If he received them in Akwa Ibom State, how come they are coming to try him in Lagos State as the prosecution have not shown how the first defendant came to Lagos to receive vehicles."

Also, Mr Umoh, who further argued that Senator Bassey’s name was not mentioned in the petition written to the EFCC, urged the court to grant his application. Similarly, Mr Adejuyigbe, representing Mr Omokore, argued that the contending issue was not insufficiency of evidence but whether they were in the right court.

He further argued that in determining the issue of jurisdiction, the court was not bound by the place stated in the charge. However, the prosecution counsel Sadisu Abubakar, argued that the EFCC has the right to try the case before the court, adding that the applicants tied the issue of jurisdiction to the issue of insufficiency of evidence which he noted was an abuse of the court processes.

Justice Taiwo adjourned the case until February 20 for ruling on the issue of jurisdiction raised by the defence counsels. According to the EFCC, Senator Bassey received the bribes while serving as the Akwa Ibom State finance commissioner and the chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee.

According to the EFCC, on May 10, 2010, Senator Bassey  corruptly received a BMW X5 BP worth N50m from Mr Omokore and in December 2012, he received another Infinity QX 56 BP worth N45m from him. On November 2013, the serving senator was alleged to have received a Toyota Landcruiser V8 BP valued at N40m and in March 2014, he was also alleged to have received a Range Rover, also valued at N40m from the businessman and in September 2014, another Toyota Hiace High Roof car valued at N27m.

Others vehicles received according to the EFCC are Toyota Hiace High Roof car valued at N16m and six Toyota Hilux vehicles valued at N36m. According to the EFCC, the car gifts were given to Senator Bassey by Mr Omokore in exchange for contracts from the Akwa Ibom State government.