EFCC re-arraigns Ladoja over N4.7bn fraud

A former Governor of Oyo State, Rasheed Ladoja was on Monday
re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on an
amended 11 counts charge.bordering on an alleged fraud of
N4.7bn.

Ladoja was arraigned alongside Wahab Akanbi.

Recalls that the duo was first arraigned in 2008 before Justice
Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court but they challenged the
validity of the charges all the way to the Supreme Court over a
period of seven years before the apex court in 2015 dismissed their
appeal and sent them back to the high court to face their
trial.

They were subsequently re-arraigned on December 14, 2016, before
Justice Mohammed Idris at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
And on September 12, after the prosecution closed its case against
the duo, the defence counsel hinted that they would be filing
applications for no-case submission on behalf of their clients
which they did.

However, before Justice Idris could hear the application, EFCC’S
counsel, Olufemi Olabisi filed fresh amended 11 -count charge
against the defendants
Ladoja’s counsel Bolaji Onilenla challenged the competency of the
charge against his client.

Ladoja’s counsel prayed the court to dismiss the fresh charge
filed against his client describing it as oppressive and abuse of
court’s processes.

But the prosecutor, Olabisi in his opposition to the former
governor’s application urged the court to discountenance Ladoja’s
counsel submission saying, that the act to file a fresh charge
against any defendant at any stage of trial by the prosecution is
in tandem with the constitution and Administration of Criminal
Justice Act (ACJA).

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court also ordered Ladoja’scounsel Onilenla and Akanbi’s
counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) to move their no case
submission applications filed respectively.

Ladoja’scounsel while arguing his application, submitted that
EFCC has not been able to link his client to the alleged offence
pressed on him.

He submitted that all the exhibit tendered by the prosecution
witnesses were not certified by the appropriate authorities which
made it evidence of hearsay.

“Even bank’ documents were not tendered by its officials,
hearsay evidence is inadmissible in law, the prosecution can not
rely on exhibits not certified by its originators, this is not what
law says on admissibility,” he said.

Akanbi ‘ s counsel also argued before the court that the
prosecution had failed to the established prima facie case against
his client, he prayed the court to strike out the name of his
client from the charge

Justice Idris has fixed November 12 to rule on the
applications.