A former Director, Pension Accounts, in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Shaibu Teidi, has been remanded in prison.
Mr. Teidi is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for defrauding the Head of Service pension accounts of N18.3 million. The judge ruled that he is to remain in Kuje Prison where he was remanded upon arraignment on June 7.
The former civil servant was arraigned alongside one Udusegbe Omoefe and their companies on a 22-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy to commit fraud and concealing the illicit origin of stolen pension funds.
They were remanded pending hearing of their bail applications.
At the resumed hearing on Monday, the judge, Adeniyi Ademola, said he could not rule on the bail application brought by the 1st accused person (Teidi), in view of the petition by the defendant to the Chief Justice of the Federation, alleging that the court was biased in the handling of his case.
“By law, when there is allegation of bias against a judicial officer, a matter can’t proceed, all proceedings has to be suspended until the allegations are cleared”, Mr. Ademola said.
The judge, thereafter, adjourned the case sine die, leaving counsel to the accused, Sunday Ameh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, in shock.
Mr. Ameh said he was stunned by the development as he has no knowledge that his client had written such petition to the Chief Justice.
Culled from Premium Times
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