16th February, 2012
Justice Abubakar Umar of an Abuja High Court on Wednesday granted leave to former FCT Minister Nasir el-Rufai to invite the current FCT minister to produce some documents in his case.
El-Rufai is standing trial on an eight-count charge, including alleged fraudulent allocation of land and abuse of public office between 2003 and 2007.
He was alleged to have re-allocated a parcel of land belonging to the PHCN, Asokoro District, Abuja, to members of his family and friends after revoking the allocation to the company.
Also standing trial in the case are Mrs. Altine Jubrin, a former Director-General, Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and Ismaila Iro, a former General Manager of AGIS.
At the resumed hearing of the case, counsel to el-Rufai, Mr. Adamu Mustapha, made an oral application for the invitation (subpoena) to be issued by the court.
Mustapha said the reason for the subpoena was to enable him cross examine the prosecution witness, Malam Mohammed Alhassan.
He said the order would compel the FCT minister to produce the documents and other tangible evidence for use in the trial.
Mustapha said the documents were in three memos which Alhassan claimed to have written el-Rufai, advising him against the revocation and re-allocation of the land.
Justice Umar also gave leave to el-Rufai to serve the FCT minister through the Counsel-General of the ministry or the Legal Department.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Adebayo Adelodun (SAN), had prayed for an adjournment because his key witness (Alhassan) was “indisposed.”
He said the prosecution was constrained by the sudden illness of Alhassan, who was supposed to continue his testimony “while the defence counsel cross-examines him.”
Justice Umar adjourned the case to March 21 for continuation of hearing and warned the prosecution not to ask for adjournment again.
“I cleared all my cases so that this matter can be given accelerated hearing; I am reluctantly granting you the adjournment. The case should not continue like this,” he said.