‘N6.9bn fraud’: Absence of judge stalls Fayose’s trial

The trial of Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti, was stalled at the federal high court, Lagos on Thursday.

Chukwujekwu Aneke, the trial judge, was said to be on another official assignment.

The case has been adjourned until July 1 for the continuation of trial.

Fayose is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N6.9 billion fraud and money laundering.

He was first arraigned on October 22, 2018 before Mojisola Olatoregun, a judge, alongside his company, Spotless Investment Ltd, on 11 counts bordering on fraud and money laundering.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on October 24, 2018, in the sum of N50 million with sureties in like sum.

The defendant was re-arraigned before Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Olatoregun, following the EFCC’s petition.

Fayose entered a ‘not guilty’ plea to the charges and was permitted to remain on the previously set bond amount.

The commission is still calling witnesses.

THE CASE AGAINST FAYOSE

According to the charge, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and one Abiodun Agbele were said to have taken possession of the sum of N1.2 billion for purposes of funding his gubernatorial election campaign in Ekiti, which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of $5 million from Musiliu Obanikoro, a former minister of state for defence, without going through any financial institution.

He was also alleged to have retained the sum of N300 million in his account and purportedly took control of the aggregate sum of about N622 million, “which he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds”.

He was further alleged to have procured De Privateer Ltd. and Still Earth Ltd., to retain the aggregate sum of N851 million “which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds”.

The defendant was alleged to have used the aggregate sum of about N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, “which he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds”.

He was also alleged to have used the sum of N200 million to acquire a property in Abuja in the name of Moji Oladeji, his elder sister, which sum he ought to know also formed crime proceeds.

The 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.