Dasuki pleads not guilty to criminal charges
Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), on Monday, pleaded not guilty to the 19-count charge of criminal breach of trust to the tune of N13 billion.
Dasuki, who was arraigned alongside Salisu Shuaibu, a director of finance in the office of the NSA, and one Aminu Baba-Kusa, stood in the accused box for at least 30 minutes while the charges were being read to him.
The former NSA was brought into the courtroom of Hussein Baba Yusuf, justice of the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Abuja, by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a few minutes past 10am.
He wore a flowing white “kaftan”, and a black, native hat to match.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE CHARGES AGAINST DASUKI
Dasuki appeared unfazed and calm as the charges were to him.
“I’m not guilty my lord,” he responded to all the charges preferred against him by the EFCC.
Count one of the charges read: “That you Col Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (RTD) whilst being the national security adviser and Shuaibu Salisu whilst being director of finance and administration in the office of the national security adviser and Hon Waripamowei Dudafa (now at a large) whilst being senior special assistant, domestic affairs to the president on or about 27th November, 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court entrusted with dominion over certain properties, to wit: The sum of N10bn being part of funds in the account of the national security adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the equivalent of which sum you received from the CBN in foreign currencies to wit: $47, 000, 000 and 5.6 million euros, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you claimed to have distributed same to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary election delegates and yoù thereby committed an offence punishable under section 315 of the penal code Act Cap 532, Vol 4, LFN 2004.”
The NSA should have known that you do not use public taxpayers money to pay for political campaigns. The so-called N22b raised by the PDP for elections should have been enough.
Only INEC can have authority to give money to political parties for campaigns, and that is to be given to all parties presidential candidates, not to every politician from local government chairmen to senators.