Alleged N6.9B Fraud: Absence of judge stalls ex-Governor Fayose’s trial

The absence of Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday, stalled the trial of a former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose, over allegations of fraud to the tune of N6.9 billion.

Justice Aneke’s absence was hinged on his attendance of an official engagement.

Consequently, the case was adjourned till July 1, 2024, for the continuation of trial.

The former Ekiti State helmsman who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was first arraigned on October 22, 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, alongside his company, Spotless Investment Limited, on 11 counts bordering on fraud and money laundering.

Dr Fayose pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail on October 24, 2018, in the sum of N50 million with sureties in like sum.

But the former governor was re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Justice Olatoregun, following the EFCC’s petition.

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

The anti-graft agency had since opened its case before Justice Aneke, and still leading witnesses in evidence.

In the charge, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and one Abiodun Agbele, were alleged to have taken possession of the sum of N1.2 billion to fund his gubernatorial election campaign in Ekiti, a development, which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Dr Fayose was specifically alleged to have received a cash payment of $5m from the then Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution.

The former Ekiti governor was equally alleged to have retained the sum of N300 million in his account and took control of the aggregate sum of about N622 million, which he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

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

Moreover, Dr Fayose 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.

The former Ekiti State helmsman, according to the EFCC, 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 EFCC said the offence 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.