The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, issued an order unfreezing the bank account of the Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Raymond Dokpesi. Justice Tsoho gave the order on Tuesday, August 3, while delivering a ruling on Dokpesi’s application argued by Mr Kanu Agabi.
The judge ordered that the account domiciled at First Bank be immediately “unfrozen” since the criminal charges which precipitated the restriction on the account had been dismissed and Dokpesi discharged and acquitted by the Court of Appeal.
The judge said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had no basis to put a post no debit order on the account in view of the subsisting and valid judgment of the Court of Appeal. He held that there was no application by the EFCC for a stay of execution of the appellate court’s judgment which quashed the criminal charges against Dokpesi.
Justice Tsoho said that in the absence of a stay of execution, the court was bound by law to recognise the judgment of the appellate court. He ordered that the freeze order and post no debit on the account be immediately removed in compliance with the appellate court’s judgment.