Due to a date confusion, the trial of Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti, for suspected money laundering could not continue on Wednesday before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
However, because of the aforementioned date-related error, the case, which was originally scheduled for continuation of trial, could not proceed.
The subject will now be postponed to a later time that will be decided upon by the involved parties.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Fayose on allegations of fraud and money laundering involving N6.9 billion.
On October 22, 2018, he and his firm, Spotless Investment Ltd, were initially charged with 11 counts relating to fraud and money laundering offenses before Justice Mojisola Olatotegun.
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defendant was however subsequently, re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Justice Olatoregun following EFCC’s petition.
He had also pleaded not guilty to the charges and was allowed to continue on the earlier bail granted, while the case was adjourned for trial.
The commission has since opened its case before Justice Aneke and is still leading witnesses in evidence.
In December 2021, EFCC had called its 11th witness, one Mrs Joanne Tolulope, who had narrated how Abiodun Agbele, an associate of Fayose, bought properties worth several millions.
Trial will now continue on a new date parties have agreed on.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that during trial before Justice Olatoregun the prosecution had called witnesses from several commercial banks, as well as a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
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 sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.
Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of $5 million (about N1.8 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, 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 sums 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 Ltd and Still Earth Ltd 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 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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