The Former Managing Director of Afribank (now Mainstreet bank), Sebastian Adigwe has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of indulging in selective prosecution by deliberately dropping ‘a star’ accused person from the criminal charge currently pending against him at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Mr. Adigwe, who spoke through his lawyer, Anthony Idigbe at the continued hearing of the matter on Tuesday, stressed that the EFCC suddenly dropped one Jubril Isah from the charge without any reason, and that the said Isah was the Executive Director in charge of Finance at the bank at the time the alleged crime was committed.

Mr. Idigbe stated that eighty percent of the counts against the former bank boss in the charge were alleged to have been committed in collaboration with the said Isah, who was suddenly dropped from the matter.

While absolving his client of any crime, Mr. Idigbe noted that as Managing Director, Mr. Adigwe was employed by the bank to take business risk, and that he cannot be criminally liable for any fallout of the business judgment he made on behalf of the bank.

Mr. Idigbe pointed out that the EFCC was unable to show anywhere in the counts where Mr. Adigwe benefited fraudulently from the transactions upon which he is now being tried.

While insisting that the charge disclosed no prima facie evidence against his client, Mr. Idigbe urged the court to quash the charge against the former Afribank bank boss as presently framed.

Responding, EFCC’s lawyer, K.U.K Ekwueme said the allegation of selective justice by the defendants was completely diversionary, and that the dropping of Jubril Isah does not make the case incompetent.

Ekwueme stressed that the arguments of the defence was a collateral attack on the prosecutorial powers granted the prosecution by the Constitution, as it was at liberty to drop charges against any accused person.

Mr. Adigwe is standing trial alongside others over alleged abuse of office, banking malpractices and money laundering to the tune of N55 billion.

Other accused persons are a stockbroker, Peter Ololo and his company, Falcon Securities Limited; former Chairman of Afribank, Osa Osunde and four directors of the bank – Chinedu Onyia, Henry Arogundade and Isa Zailani.

The case has been adjourned till the 18th of April for continuation of arguments before Justice John Tsoho.