The trial of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, on charges of unlawful enrichment and bribery, was stalled on Friday as her lawyer, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN), told the court that his client had been hospitalised.
Clarke told Justice Rilwan Aikawa at the Federal High Court in Lagos that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia had a high blood pressure and was being monitored in the hospital.
The defence counsel tendered to the court a letter written by the Police Hospital, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos and signed by a Commissioner of Police.
He urged the judge to adjourn the case to enable his client’s health to stabilise.
But the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, expressed skepticism about the defendant’s claim of ill health.
According to the prosecutor, the letter tendered by Clarke gave Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia’s blood pressure as 110/100 and stated that she “was not in obvious distress, was not dehydrated and was not pale.”
The prosecutor, however, rejected the proposition by Clarke that pending applications be heard despite Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia’s absence.
“These proceedings form part of her trial and cannot be conducted in her absence,” Oyedepo said.
Consequently, Justice Aikawa adjourned till June 24 to hear the pending applications.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia is being tried alongside Chief Godwin Obla (SAN).
The two defendants are facing 18 counts bordering on offering of gratification, unlawful enrichment and money laundering.
They are both challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to entertain the charges against them.
In her own application, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia argued that she had already been tried on the charges before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.
Apart from challenging the court’s jurisdiction, Obla prayed that his trial be separated from that of Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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