A Federal High Court in Lagos, has rescheduled the trial of Adeyemi Ikuforiji, a former Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, on charges of money laundering. Originally slated to resume on Thursday, the proceedings met unforeseen circumstances, prompting the adjournment and subsequent announcement of July 17 as the new date for the trial to recommence.
On Friday, the court fixed a new date for the continuation of the trial on July 17 and July 18. The court on Friday rescheduled the trial to resume on July 17 and July 18. Ikuforiji, with his former Personal Assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi, are both facing charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Facing a 54-count indictment, the defendants will be tried before Justice Mohammed Liman, who presides over their case. Upon entering their pleas of innocence, the defendants were permitted to remain on bail, which had initially been granted to them in 2012 when they were initially arraigned.
The EFCC concluded its case on March 17, 2021, following the testimony of its second prosecution witness, Mr. Adewale Olatunji, a former Clerk of the Lagos House of Assembly.
Throughout the proceedings, the prosecution presented two witnesses to substantiate their case.
Subsequently, on May 4, 2023, the defense counsel, Mr. Dele Adesina (SAN), commenced presenting the case for the defense by summoning witnesses to testify.
To date, the defense has brought forth a total of three witnesses, among them being the primary defendant, Ikuforiji.
During his testimony, Ikuforiji emphasised that he is being subjected to prosecution based on an anonymous and unsubstantiated petition.
In his statement to the court, he revealed that the current legal proceedings originated from a complaint lodged by an unidentified individual who falsely accused him of embezzling about ₦7 billion from the Lagos House of Assembly.
However, the court, noting the need to address the admissibility of documentary evidence submitted by the defense counsel, opted to adjourn the case for that purpose. The trial is scheduled to recommence on July 17, marking the next stage in the proceedings.
According to the report from the News Agency of Nigeria, the defendants initially faced charges of misappropriation and money laundering, with their first arraignment taking place on March 1, 2012, before Justice Okechukwu Okeke. The charges were a total of 20 counts.
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Africa Today News, New York, gathered that they Individually pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against them and were both granted the privilege of bail.
However, due to a reassignment of the case, the defendants were re-arraigned before the honorable Justice Ibrahim Buba.
Justice Buba, in his wisdom, granted them bail amounting to ₦500 million each, with the condition that sureties of equal value be provided.
Following a no-case submission by the defendants, Justice Buba provided his verdict on September 26, 2014, absolving Ikuforiji and his aide of the charges brought against them.
In his ruling, Justice Buba noted that the EFCC had not presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.
Expressing discontentment with the ruling, the EFCC, represented by Mr. Godwin Obla (SAN) as its counsel, filed a Notice of Appeal on September 30, 2014, challenging the decision rendered by the trial court.
Obla contended that the trial court committed a legal error by deeming the counts as invalid due to their filing under Section 1(a) of the repealed Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004, instead of the Act of 2011.
Adding to their argument, the EFCC emphasized that the lower court had also erred in its interpretation of the law, specifically by stating that the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and 2011 exclusively applied to individuals and corporate entities, excluding the Government.
In November 2016, the Lagos Division of the Appeal Court ruled in favor of the prosecution, ordering a new trial for the defendants before a different judge. The defendants then appealed to the Supreme Court, how their request was denied, and the case was sent back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment.
The charges involved the acceptance of cash payments above the legal limit without involving a financial institution, as well as allegations of misappropriation of funds belonging to the House of Assembly. The offenses were committed between April 2010 and July 2011, and they violated various sections of the Money Laundering Act.
The EFCC asserted that the alleged offenses violate the provision outlined in Sections 15 (1d), 16(1d), and 18 of both the Money Laundering Act of 2004 and 2011.