Money laundering: EFCC closes case in Lagos Speaker’s trial
By Adetokunbo Fakeye
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday closed its case at a Federal High Court in Lagos in the money laundering trial of Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji.
The EFCC counsel, Chief Godwin Obla (SAN), informed the court of EFCC’s readiness to close its case.
He said having reviewed the case of the prosecution against the accused so far, he was of the opinion that the prosecution should close its case at this stage.
Responding, the defence counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), on a lighter note, said he had not been informed of the position, adding that he had come “fully prepared” for the case.
Following the consent of both prosecuting and defence counsel, Justice Ibrahim Buba, adjourned the case to July 7 for hearing of a no-case submission filed by the defence counsel.
EFCC had called two witnesses, Adebayo Adeniyi, an investigating police officer with the EFCC and Mr Adewale Olatunji, a former Clerk/Permanent Secretary of the House against the speaker and his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi.
The accused were re-arraigned before Buba on June 24, 2013 following the retirement of Justice Okechukwu Okeke, the former trial judge.
Ikuforiji and Atoyebi had pleaded not guilty to all the counts, while Buba granted them bail in the sum of N1bn each with two sureties each in the sum of N500m.
In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offences between April 2010 and July 2011.
They were alleged to have illegally accepted cash payments of over N273m from the House without going through a financial institution.
Mr speaker was also alleged to have used his position to misappropriate about N500m.
The offence contravenes Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011.