The arraignment of the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Ahmed Gambo Saleh and two other officials of the court before an Abuja High Court on alleged diversion of the court’s 2.2 billion Naira into their personal account has been stalled

Mr Saleh was to be arraigned along with one Mr Muhammed Abdulrahaman Sharif and Rilwanu Lawal before Justice Abba Bello Mohammed on a 9-count charge bordering on diversion of 2.2 billion Naira public fund, criminal breach of trust and taking bribe from Supreme Court contractors to the tune of 74.4 million Naira.

The arraignment could not hold as one of the defendants, Muhammed Abdulrahaman Sharif was absent in the court due to an undisclosed ailment.

His counsel, Mr Garba Tetengi, told Justice Muhammed that his client was lying critically ill at the emergency ward of the Specialists Hospital in Gwagwalada, Abuja, and pleaded with the judge for an adjournment of the arraignment.

Counsel to the Federal Government, Mr Charles Adeogun-Phillips, objected to the claim of the second defendant on the ground that no material evidence was placed before the court or served on government to show that the second defendant was actually in the hospital.

He, however, said that since the evidence came from the bar, he would concede to the adjournment.

Justice Mohammed thereafter adjourned the arraignment till December 15, 2016 to enable the second defendant recover from his illness.

The Federal Government had on November 3 filed a 9-count charge against the three defendants at the registry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Judiciary.

Among the charges, they were alleged to have diverted a sum of 2.2 billion Naira belonging to the Supreme Court between 2009 and 2016.

They were also accused of having, between 2009 and 2016, collected bribe to the tune of 10 million Naira from one Willysdave Limited, a contractor with the Supreme Court.