A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, further adjourned
until June 10, the trial of embattled former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele
Fayose, facing N6.9 billion fraud charges.
The case which was slated for continuation of trial, was
further adjourned, as Justice Mojisola Olatoregun was said to be on official
assignment.
Trial will resume on next adjourned date.
Fayose was arraigned on an 11-count charge by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Oct. 22, 2018, alongside a company,
Spotless Investment Ltd.
He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N50
million with one surety in like sum.
The EFCC opened its case on Nov. 19, 2018, and had so far
called 13 witnesses.
At the last adjourned date, on May 10, the prosecution had
sought an adjournment of the case, after it informed the court that its 13th
witness, Adewale Aladegbola, seemed to be hostile.
The court had consequently adjourned the case to enable
prosecution decide on its next line of action.
According to the charge, Fayose and one Abiodun Agbele were
said to have on June 17, 2014, taken possession of N1.2 billion for funding his
gubernatorial election campaign.
The EFCC said that the defendants reasonably ought to have
known that the sum formed part of crime proceeds.
Fayose was also alleged to have received a cash payment of
five million dollars, (about N1.8 billion) from the then Minister of State for
Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial
institution.
The EFCC noted that the sum exceeded the amount allowed by
law.
Fayose was also accused of retaining N300 million in a
Zenith bank account and illegally taking control of the aggregate sums of about
N622 million.
The former governor was equally alleged to have procured De
Privateer Ltd. and Still Earth Ltd. to illegally retain in their Zenith Bank
accounts number 1013835889 an aggregate sum of N851 million.
He was also alleged to have unlawfully used about N1.6
billion to acquire property in Lagos and Abuja.
The EFCC equally charged the former governor with unlawfully
using N200 million to acquire a property in Abuja in the name of his elder
sister, Moji Oladeji.
The alleged offences contravene the provisions of Sections
15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering
Prohibition Act, 2011.
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This how we will keep stalling the case till we will forget
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