The media mogul is also seeking the release of documents that were seized and deposited with the court following his arraignment on corruption charges on March 29, 2017.
The founder of Daar Communications PLc owner of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM Radio High Chief Raymond Dokpesi has returned to the Federal High Court asking it to unfreeze his bank accounts and release his documents.
Dokpesi’s application followed his discharge from seven count charge for an alleged laundering of the sum of N2.1bn by Court of Appeal Abuja Division.
He was undergoing trial for the alleged offence before the Federal High Court before the Court of Appeal quashed the charge.
Dokpesi’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), informed the Chief Judge of Federal High Court Justice John Tsoho on Tuesday that the frozen accounts as well as documents was submitted to the court in respect of the money laundering charges levelled against Dokpesi, which had been dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
“My Lord, it is a straight forward application and we are prepared to proceed if the court permits,” he said
But the prosecution counsel Oluwaleke Atolagbe, a private lawyer representing the EFCC told the court that ordinarily they were not supposed to be in court because no hearing notice was issued to them.
“We are not aware that the case is coming up. We only came to court to appear before Justice Inyang Ekwo for another case entirely.
“It was one of the counsel that drew our attention, only for us to find out that the case is listed.
“We hold this court in high esteem and as a mark of respect for the court, we decided to appear before my Lord to hint him on how we stumbled on this case.
“In the circumstance, we are not in a position to take the application as it is.”We have to look at the application and let the court know if we are opposing it or not.
“In any case, we have filed notices of appeal against the judgement of the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court for the apex court to restore the decision of this court on the no-case-submission.
Therefore, we need an adjournment to look at the application” the EFCC lawyer posited.
Reacting, Agabi told the court that they were called via a phone call, but Atolagbe objected and told the court that there was no way he was called and he would come and tell the court that he was not called.
However, Agabi said the EFCC were served since June 15, and have not filed a counter affidavit.
Going through its record the court found that the EFCC has not been served and it blamed the bailiff for the mixed up.
Recall that Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal had on April 1, 2021 discharged Dokpesi of corruption charges levelled against him by the federal government.
Delivering the judgment in an appeal brought by Dokpesi, Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, of the appellate court, held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the appellants.