Justice Mohammed Sifawa of the Sokoto State High Court has dismissed the no-case submission by two Chinese nationals, Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuai, who were in 2020 accused of offering N50million bribe to an official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuoi were arraigned on a two-count of conspiracy and attempting to bribe one Abdullahi Lawal, former Head of the Sokoto Zonal Command of the EFCC.
The duo who are staff of China Zhongao Nigeria Ltd, allegedly tried using the sum N50 million to compromise EFCC’s investigation into the company's conduct in a contract in Zamfara State.
In the course of the trial after they were granted bail, the EFCC had called three witnesses and tendered documents which were all admitted in evidence by the Court.
Opening their defence on Tuesday, counsel to the defendants, A.T Hassan, called the first defendant, Meng Wei Kun to the stand, but prosecution counsel, S. H Sa'ad raised an objection on the basis of the absence of an interpreter as both defendants had previously claimed they do not speak or understand English language.
However, the court was surprised when the defendants waived their rights to having an interpreter.
Proceeding with the hearing, Meng Wei Kun admitted that he is a staff of China Zhongao Nigeria Ltd, and that his company was redesigning a solar water project for Zamfara State Government.
The defendant said he was informed by the then EFCC Zonal Head, Abdullahi Lawal, to make some refunds through him which was agreed to be done in batches, saying that five China Zhongao Nigeria Ltd cheques of N10 million each were cashed from UBA Sokoto branch for the first batch of the refund.
He further told the court that he then informed the then EFCC Zonal Head Abdullahi Lawal that the money was ready for pick-up at the China Zhongao residence in Kasarawa Sokoto, adding that Lawal came alone for the transaction but before it was conducted, operatives of the EFCC stormed the premises and arrested both defendants and the N50 million exhibit.
During cross examination by the prosecution counsel, EFCC said that the defendant confirmed that he knew China Zhongao Nigeria Ltd was under investigation as a result of the contract being executed in Zamfara State.
He also admitted that he met Lawal but the money in question was not intended as a bribe but part of the earlier agreed refund.
Meng Wei Kun was shown a search warrant which he signed during the arrest and recovery of the said N50 Million, which he confirmed signing the document but claimed he didn't know what it meant.
When he was confronted with the five UBA N10 million cheques each by the prosecution counsel, the defendant claimed ignorance of the said cheques, saying that he was seeing them for the first time.
However, the defendant lost a bid to stop the trial through no case submission as Justice Sifawa held that “a prima facie case has been established against the defendants and therefore they must enter a defence".
The judge therefore adjourned the matter till January 31, 2023.