The chief judge of the federal high court in abuja Justice John Tsoho will on August 3, 2021 rule on application by the founder of Daar Communications Plc, chief Raymond Dokpesi over his frozen bank accounts.
Dokpesi is seeking for an order of court to unfreeze the bank accounts.
Justice Tsoho fixed the date on Monday after taking arguments from Dokpesi’s lawyer, KANU Agabi, SAN and prosecution counsel Mr.Oluwaleke Atolagbe for and against the application.
Agabi while arguing the application prayed the court to issue order to unfreeze Dokpesi’s bank account frozen on the strength of the charges against him.
The senior lawyers submitted that the criminal charges in respect of N2.1B brought against Dokpesi by Efcc had since been voided and quashed by the court of appeal Abuja division.
Agabi further argued that the charge which led to freezing of the account was no longer in existence while Dokpesi was discharged and acquitted in all the charges.
Agabi also argued that the court of appeal Judgement which set aside the charges against Dokpesi is still subsisting, valid and binding on both the court .
He further submitted that the Efcc which lost at the court of appeal has not obtain a stay of execution of the said Judgement and therefore has no legal stand to continue to place freezing order on the defendant’s account.
The senior lawyers tendered two Judgement of the court of appeal to establish his claim that the criminal charges against Dokpesi have been quashed adding that until the court of appeal Judgement are set aside the Efcc can not continue to freeze the account.
Opposing the application, EFCC counsel Oluwaleke Atolagbe asked the court to dismiss the application on the ground that the anti graft agency has already filled notice of appeal against the court of appeal Judgement at the supreme court.
Atolagbe urged the court not to unfreeze the account yet until the final decision of the supreme court in the matter adding that the N2.1B logged into the frozen account formed the basis of the charge.
Atolagbe also opposed to the request for the release of Dokpesi’s document in possession of Efcc adding that no specific document was mentioned in the request.
The Efcc counsel drew the attention of the court to DSS and NIA responses in the matter adding that the two agencies are not before the court and as such court can not make valid order against them.
Jistice Tsoho subsequently fixed August 3 for his ruling in the matter.