The Economic and Financial Crimes C o m m i s s i o n  EFCC yesterday began the trial of a former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, over an alleged N4.7 billion fraud before Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The former governor was on December 14, 2016 rearraigned by the anti-graft agency alongside one of his aides, Chief Waheed Akanbi, on an eight-count charge of money laundering, contrary to Section 17(a) and punishable under Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004. At yesterday’s proceedings, first prosecution witness, Abdullahi Lawal, while being examined by EFCC’s lawyer, Festus Keyamo, informed the court that the commission, sometimes in July 2007, received a petition from the office of Secretary to the Oyo State Government (SSG), in which the names of the two accused persons were mentioned.

Keyamo however sought to tender the document as an exhibit before the court. However, the defence lawyers, Bolaji Onilenla and Olumide Fusika, were opposed to the admissibility of the document.

While urging the court to reject the document, Ladoja’s lawyer, Bolaji Onilenla, noted that the prosecution had not complied with the provisions of Section 371 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which made it mandatory and fundamental for it to furnish the defence with all documents it intended to tender in the case.

He further argued that the document was not listed by the anti-graft agency in the proof of evidence. Also speaking in similar vein, Akanbi’s lawyer, Olumide Fusika, said the tendering of the document by the prosecution is a ploy to delay the matter.

In his response, EFCC’s lawyer, Festus Keyamo, while arguing that Section 371 of ACJA is not applicable to the Federal High Court, noted that the court has summary jurisdiction to admit any document even if it was not listed in the proof of evidence.

He further disclosed that it was with the aid of the document that the EFCC was able to launch an investigation into the matter and as such the document has met all the conditions of admissibility. The court will decide on the admissibility of the document today.

The commission had earlier in November 2008 arraigned the duo on a 10-count charge over the alleged offence before Justice Ramat Mohammed, who was then serving at the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court.

Some of the counts against the accused persons read as thus: “That you Chief Rasheed Ladoja and Waheed Akanbi, sometimes in 2007, at Ibadan Oyo State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court converted the sum of N1, 932,940,032.48, property of Oyo State Government.

By: Akeem Nafiu
The Newtelegraph News