Fayose’s trial resumes Oct. 21 over alleged N6.9bn fraud

The trial of former Governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, will now resume on October 21 before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

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

He was first arraigned on October 22, 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatotegun, alongside a company, Spotless Investment Limited, on an 11 -count 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 subsequently re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, on July 2 and he also pleaded not guilty to the charges and was allowed to continue on the earlier bail granted.

After his re-arraignment, Justice Aneke had granted leave for the defendant to travel aboard for medical treatment, but however, ordered that his international passport be returned to the court, on or before September 16.

The judge thereafter, adjourned the case until September 16- 19 and also to October 21-25 for continuation of trial.

Meanwhile, the case will now come up on October 21, as judges are away for their annual judges’ conference, which takes place after the annual vacation of the court.

Before now, the EFCC had opened trial on November 19, 2018 and has so far called 13 witnesses out of the15 listed.

However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati had transferred the case from Olatoregun, to Aneke, following a petition by the EFCC.

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 state, which sum they reasonably believed formed part of crime proceeds.

Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of $5 million (about N1.8 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution.

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

Fayose was alleged to have procured De Privateer Limited and Still Earth Limited, to retain the aggregate sums of N851 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Besides, the defendant was alleged to have used the aggregate sums of about N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, which sums 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 his elder sister, Moji Oladeji, which sum he ought to know also forms crime proceeds.

The offence, the anti-graft agency said contravenes 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.