Judge absent in Fayose N6.9bn fraud case, matter adjourned to July 1

Judge absent in Fayose N6.9bn fraud case, matter adjourned to July 1 

The money laundering trial of a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, could not proceed on Thursday due to the absence of the trial judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Justice Aneke was said to be away on an official assignment and the case was adjourned to July 1 for the continuation of trial.

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

He was first arraigned on October 22, 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatotegun, with his company, Spotless Investment Ltd, on an 11 counts bordering on fraud and money laundering offences.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail on October 24, 2018, in the sum of N50m with sureties in like sum.

The defendant was re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Justice Olatoregun, following a petition by the EFCC against the judge.

He also pleaded not guilty to the charge and was allowed to continue on the earlier bail granted, while the case was adjourned for trial.

Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of five million dollars, (about N1.8bn) 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 N300m in his account, with a control of the aggregate sums of about N622m.

Fayose was also accused of procuring De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd to retain the aggregate sums of N851m.

He was alleged to have used the aggregate sums of about N1.6bn, to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja.