N2.1bn arms deal: Appeal Court frees Dokpesi

Reprieve on Thursday came for the embattled chairman Emeritus of Daar Communication, Raymond Dokpesi, as the Court of Appeal in Abuja discharged and acquitted him of corruption allegations.

The PUNCH reported that Dokpesi, DAAR Investment and Holdings Ltd, were arraigned on seven counts bordering on procurement fraud and breach of public trust.

He was alleged to have received N2.1 billion from the Office of a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), between October 2014 and March 2015 for services not rendered.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had called 13 witnesses in the course of trial.

On November 21, 2018, Justice John Tsoho, had struck out Dokpesi’s no-case submission and ordered him to open his defence.

But he approched the Court of Appeal seeking to upturn the decision of the lower court.

Delivering judgment in the appeal on Thursday, Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu of the Appellate Court, held that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie case against the appellants.