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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Alleged illegal bunkering: Vessel charterer arrested, docked SAM POPOOLA
THE charterer of the ship"M.T. Capbreton" in which 10 foreign nationals were allegedly caught, dealing in illegal oil bunkering to the tune of N21 million, Mrs. Nkasi Comfort Onyung, a Nigerian, has been arrested and arraigned before a Federal High Court, Lagos. Prosecuting on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs. Pat Ajoku had earlier presented the 10 foreign nationals who include six Ivoriens, two Beninoise, and two Togolese before the court for trial on an alleged criminal case of illegally dealing in crude oil within the Nigerian territorial waters. They are Makomilan Tanoe Valentin, Mobio Etieme, Inza Cisse, Debo Jeremie, Boubou Diallo, Latte Serge Alfred (Ivoriens), Koi Joachin, Vlanonon Zannon (Beninoise), Djorbayi Talbia, and Kpillmara Nikabon (Togolese). All the accused had since pleaded not guilty. Following the arrest of the charterer, the prosecution amended the former charge to include the charterer as the 11th accused person. According to the prosecution, on or about July 17, 2003 at off the coast of Forcados, within the Nigerian territorial waters, all the accused conspired with other persons still at large and dealt with 6,500 metric tonnes of crude oil valued at about N21 million in "M.T. Capbreton" without lawful authority. All pleaded not guilty. Meanwhile, Chief Emefo Etudo, the leading defence lawyer to the 10 foreign nationals, had filed an application seeking for transfer of the case from the present trial judge, Justice Mohammed Shuaibu on the allegation of bias, against the 10 other accused. The application which was yet to be argued stated that it was necessary to send the case file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another judge of the Federal High Court, noting that the court allowed the charterer to exclusively address the court for about 30 minutes unrecorded touching the subject- matter of the case. A nine-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion, sworn to by one Timilehin Akindeju, averred that the other 10 foreign nationals accused were not given opportunity to refute what the charterer said. The treatment of the 10 other accused who were ordered to be remanded in prison custody as against the charterer who the court remanded in police custody "is a clear case of special interest by a judicial officer in a case before him; a conduct which is inimical to the due administration of justice and amounts to the bias of the said presiding judge". |
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