TheCable

A federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama has dismissed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which sought to join Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), in a case of alleged misappropriation of $9.5 million FIFA grant.

The EFCC had filed a five-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and misappropriation against Christopher Andekin; NFF director of administration and finance; Reagan Zaka, NFF cashier and Fadanari Mamza, the head finance and account department.

On April 30 2019, the commission filed an application seeking to join Pinnick and Mohammed Sanusi, secretary-general of the NFF, in the matter as co-defendants.

Ruling on the application on Thursday, Peter Affen, the judge, held that joining Pinnick and Sanusi in the suit would amount to an abuse of court processes owing to the fact that they were acquitted of similar charges at the federal high court in Abuja.

The office of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) had filed the suit bordering on alleged infraction against the NFF president and other officials.

However, after taking over the case file from the SPIP, the attorney general of the federation (AGF) said he found out that there was no basis for the charges filed against Pinnick and other executive members of the NFF.

Consequently, Ijeoma Ojukwu, the judge, discharged the defendants.

Meanwhile, Affen adjourned until April 30 for the trial of the other three defendants.