to grant the application filed by Henry Okah to declare that proceedings at his ongoing trial were irregular.
Claaseen, while ruling on the three grounds of the application, said that it was absurd and frivolous.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Defence Counsel, J.P. Marais, had on March 18 urged the court to declare the trial as irregular on three grounds.
“Three grounds have been alleged for the purpose of the irregularity. The first ground is on the unlawful presence of an official of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Cliford Osagie who is an investigative officer in the 2010 Abuja car bombing.
“That his presence intimidates the witnesses. In the affidavit by Mr. Osagie, he says he is a legal official in SSS and that he knew the accused since 2007 when he was part of a Federal Government delegation to Angola to seek for the release of the accused who was arrested in Angola.
“It is common knowledge that he was involved in investigating and prosecution of the accused and the other conspirators. “The accused having known Mr. Osagie as an official of the SSS since 2007 and failed to mention it to his lawyer is a failure that cannot be laid at the feet of the judge.”
