N798m Subsidy Scam: Court tells Opeyemi Ajuayah, Others, You have case to answer
Olaoluwa Folalu
Justice Latifah Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court todaydismissed
an application of a no-case submission filed by Opeyemi Ajuayah, Majope Investment, Abdullahi Alao, Axenergy and Olarenwaju Olalusi.
In their consolidated application, the defendants through their counsels, challenged the competency of the charge prepared against them by the prosecution.
They argued that the prosecution was unable to adduce sufficient evidence to justify the continuation of the trial, therefore a prima-facie case had not been established against them.
They also claimed that the essential elements they are charged with have
not been proved by the prosecution.
Also in their submission, the defendants claimed that they were being charged under a wrong law. They said the prosecution charged them for conspiracy but the punishment enclosed therein which is Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 did not apply to conspiracy.
However, while dismissing the application, Justice Okunnu held that the prosecution had adduced a prima-facie case against the defendants.
On the issue of wrong law as claimed by the defendants, the judge held that the punishment for the alleged offence of conspiracy was also within the
Advance Fee Fraud Act as a conspiracy to commit is as good as
committing the act.
Consequently, the defendants were ordered to enter their defence.
The defendants are standing trial on an 8 – count charge of conspiracy to
obtain unearned sum of N798,984,707 (Seven hundred and Nine Eight
Million, Nine Hundred Eighty Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seven
Naira) from the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Petroleum
Support Fund.
The case has been adjourned toJune 24, 2016; July 6th, 26th, 27th, 29th and 30th, 2016 for defence.