Cross-examination of the chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, in a case of N761 million fraud was stalled in Lagos on Friday due to the defendant’s absence.

Mr Bawa is a prosecution witness in the case before an Ikeja high court.

The defendant, Abubakar Peters, was said to have contracted COVID-19 and was recovering in an isolation centre, according to his counsel, E.O. Isiramen.

“He is ill with coronavirus. He tested positive for the virus and he is at an isolation centre where he is receiving treatment,” Mr Isiramen informed the court.

When asked by the judge of the isolation centre, Mr Isiramen said, “I don’t know precisely where he is, the report was sent via email.”

Expressing her displeasure of not earlier informing the court, Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya, gave the defence a seven-day period to provide the medical report to back their excuse.

She also ordered the defence should pay N309,000 within seven days to offset the costs incurred by two witnesses (Bawa inclusive) who were brought from Abuja for the matter.

Mr Peters and his company, Nadabo Energy Ltd., are facing a 21-count charge bordering on forgery and oil subsidy fraud.

He is being accused by the EFCC’s using forged documents to claim subsidy funds for 12,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) as against 6,000 metric tonnes.

(NAN)