Court acquits Dokpesi in N2.1Billion corruption allegation

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has discharged the embattled chairman of Daar Communication, Raymond Dokpesi and acquitted him of corruption allegations.

Dokpesi has been arraigned on seven counts bordering on procurement fraud and breach of public trust.

He was alleged to have received N2.1 billion from the Office of a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), between October 2014 and March 2015 for services not rendered.

But Dokpesi maintained that the funds were paid to the company for the publicity and AIT’s live coverage of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential campaign tours in 2015.

On Thursday, a three-member panel of justices agreed with the two appeals by Dokpesi and Daar Investment and proceeded to set aside an earlier ruling of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which rejected the no-case submissions made by the appellants.

In the lead judgement, which was read by Justice Elfreda Wiialims-Daudu, the appellate court held that the prosecution did not make out a prima facie case against the appellants and did not also establish the elements of the offences charged to warrant the appellants to be called upon to enter a defence.