The D224 million economic crime case against Lang Conteh, the former foreign exchange manager at Central Bank, has taken a dramatic turn Wednesday when the acussed change his plea to guilty and filed a motion for plea bargain.

Appearing before the court presided over by Justice AH Tahir yesterday, Mr Conteh, dressed in a traditional dress known as “Kaftan” with beads reciting the names of Allah, decided not to waste the courts time and pleaded quilty to the charges preferred against him.

The defence team headed by Lawyer Musa Bittaye, former secretary of state for Justice, told the court that they have filed a motion notice for plea bargain and accordingly served the director of public prosecution (DPP), Akomaye Agim, with the notice. He submitted that the DPP is not opposing the motion. He added that the charges before the court are based on facts which include findings and recommendatins which the commission of enquiry into the assets of public officers made against the accused person. “I applied that this recommendation be part of the proceedings. The judge who first handled this case, Justice MA Paul, was the chairman of the commission and recused himself from the case because of the fact of the evidence before the commission,” Lawyer Bittaye submitted.

He later tendered the commission’s findings and recommendations before the court which was accepted and marked as an exhibit.

Adressing the court, DPP Agim said: “It is correct that we have been served with the motion of plea bargain.  It is also correct that we have no reason to refuse to enter into plea bargain.” He told the court that plea bargain is a mechanism for speedy trial in criminal matters.  He said the accused had “cut the matter short” by changing his plea.  “We thank the defence for that decision.  The defence should submit or deposit to the court the asset of the accused, Mr Conteh, at Kotu as recommended by the commission,” DPP Agim said.

The case was adjourned to May 4.