A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded a former Chief of Defence Staff in Nigeria, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, in Kuje Prison after he pleaded not guilty to a 10-count charge of money laundering.
The court order came after an anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at Monday’s proceeding asked the court to remand the former Chief of Defence Staff.
But in an attempt to make a bail application, the counsel to Air Chief Marshal Badeh, drew the attention of the court to a motion for bail filed by his client on March 2.
The presiding judge, Justice Obong Abang, however, held that the motion was not competent, as the court could only exercises jurisdiction over an accused person when he is arraigned.
Justice Abang thereafter struck out the application for lack of merit, but obliged the request of the accused person’s lawyer to hear the bail application in the shortest possible time.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecution told the court that he would not be able to commence with the trial.
The trial judge then adjourned till March 19 to hear the bail application.
Air Chief Marshall Badeh is alleged to have used funds of the Nigeria Air Force to purchase choice property in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
According to the EFCC, he illegally used Six million Naira to renovate his son’s house, which he purchased for 260 million Naira in Abuja between January and December 2013.
The former Defence Chief is also alleged to have used 876 million Naira belonging to the Nigerian Air Force to build a shopping mall in Abuja.
On March 4, a Federal High Court in Abuja turned down a fundamental rights enforcement application filed by Air Chief Marshal Badeh.
Mr Badeh in his application, sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights to liberty pending when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would be ready to charge him.
But the presiding judge, Justice James Tsoho, said that there was a subsisting withholding charge order by a Magistrate Court in Lagos, which gave the Anti-graft agency the right to detain him.
The former Chief of Defence Staff is facing a 10-count charge on money laundering and criminal breach of trust to the tune of 3.9 billion Naira.
