FORMER chief of air staff Air Marshal Adesola Amosu and 10 others facing a N22.8bn ($62m) fraud trial has signed an agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) about entering into a plea bargain that will enable them return cash.
Air Marshal Amosu, the immediate past head of the Nigerian Air Force, is one of those currently being investigated by the EFCC over his role in the $2.1bn Dasukigate scandal. Under the scam, money voted for the purchase of military hardware to combat Boko Haram ended up in private pockets and former government officials and military commanders are facing charges over the matter.
During a search of Air Marshal Amosu's Badagry home, the EFCC recovered about $140,000 in cash hidden in a soakaway. In addition, several houses belonging to Air Marshal Amosu worth over N500m had been seized by the EFCC.
In an attempt to seek a soft landing, Air Marshall Amosu has issued two bank drafts to the federal government as part of the funds allegedly diverted by his office as chief of air staff. He is said to have returned N2.6m and is now planning to hand back more cash as part of a plea bargaining arrangement.
Yesterday, the EFCC tendered a draft copy of the terms of the potential plea bargain before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos. Air Marshal Amosu is standing trial alongside Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun and Air Commodore Gbadebo Olugbenga and eight private firms.
They entered a plea of innocence following which Marshals Amosu, Adigun and Olugbenga were granted bail of N500m each with two sureties in the like sum. At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that the defendants had began plea bargain negotiations with the government.
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