The Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, On Thursday failed in his bid to regain his freedom after being arraigned on Wednesday on a six-count charge for alleged procurement fraud and breach of public trust before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Dokpesi is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly receiving the sum of N2.1 billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the presidential media campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election.

The money was allegedly disbursed from funds earmarked for the procurement of arms for the fight against the insurgency in the North-east.

He was arraigned alongside his firm, DAAR Investment and Holdings Limited, owner of African Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM.

The funds, which were allegedly released to the accused persons between October 2014 and March 19, 2015 were allegedly transferred from an account in the office of the NSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to a First Bank of Nigeria Limited account owned by DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited.

The offence was in breach of Section 58(4)(b) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and punishable under Section 58(6) and (7) of the same Act, as well as under Section 17(b) of the EFCC Act. Dokpesi however pleaded not guilty to all the counts preferred against him.

Efforts by his counsel, Mr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), to secure his bail on Wednesday were countered by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), on the grounds that the application was served on him shortly before the court started sitting. He urged the court to allow him time to respond.