The former Chief of Defence Staff, Rtd. Air Chief Marshal, Alex Badeh has been remanded at the Kuje Maximum Prison, by a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja.
Justice Okon Abang gave the ruling on Monday, March 7, 2016 pending the determination of his bail application on Thursday, March 10 2016.
Abang dismissed Badeh’s bail application of Wednesday, March 2, 2016 filed by his counsel Samuel Zibiri, on the grounds of incompetence and asked the defence counsel to file a fresh one.
Zibiri’s application for his client to be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), rather than a prison was quashed by the court who fixed his hearing Thursday, March 10, 2016 and subsequent trial on Monday, March 14, 2016.
Badeh who has been in detention for over three weeks pleaded not guilty to an 11-count charge of criminal breach of trust and corruption to the tune of charge bordering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption.N3.9billion.
RELATED: $2 Billion Arms Deal: ‘I am being persecuted’ – Former Defence Chief, Badeh Cries Out
The anti-graft commission had accused Badeh of misappropriating $ 2.1 billion meant for procurement of arms and acquiring choice property in Abuja with the money.
Badeh was also accused of illegally using N60million to renovate his son’s house, which he purchased for N260million in Abuja, between January and December 2013.
RELATED: EFCC Searches Home Of Former Chief Of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh
The former defence chief also allegedly used N878million being funds of the air force to build a shopping mall in Abuja.
Three of the charges reads: “That you Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh (whilst being the chief of air staff, Nigerian air force) and Iyalikan Nigeria Limited, between January and December, 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use the dollar equivalent of the sum of N1, 100, 000, 000.00 (One billion, one hundred million naira only), removed from the accounts of the Nigeria air force, to purchase for yourselves a mansion situated at No 6 Ogun River street, off Danube street, Maitama, Abuja, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of proceed of unlawful activity (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) of Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2) (d) of the money laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh (whilst being the Chief of Air Staff, Nigerian air force) and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited between January and December 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use dollar equivalent of the sum of N650,000,000 (Six hundred and fifty million naira only), removed from the accounts of the Nigeria Air Force, to purchase for yourselves a commercial plot of land, situate at Plot 1386 Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) of Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Air Chief Marshal Alex S. Badeh (whilst being the chief of air staff, Nigerian air force) and Iyalikan Nigeria Limited between January and December 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use an aggregate sum of N878,362,732.94 (eight hundred and seventy-eight million, three hundred and sixty-two thousand, seven hundred and thirty-two naira, ninety-four kobo), removed from the accounts of the Nigerian air force and paid into the account of Rytebuilders Technologies Limited with Zenith Bank Plc for the construction of a shopping mall, situate at Plot 1386 Oda Crescent, Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja, for yourselves, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity (to wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) of Air Chief Marshal Alex S Badeh and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d)of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
