Candidate in the Edo 2020 Governorship election
The money laundering case brought against Pastor
Osagie Ize -Iyamu, PDP governorship candidate in Edo State in the
2016 election and four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, was today October 15, 2020 adjourned till January
14, 2021, by a Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo
State.
The other four defendants are Lucky Imasuen, former deputy
governor of Edo State; Chief Dan Orbih, former PDP chairman in Edo
State; Tony Aziegbemi and Efe Erimuoghae.
At today’s sitting, counsel to the first defendant, Charles
Edosomwan, SAN, informed the court that he has filed a motion
challenging its jurisdiction on the grounds that the charge filed
against the defendants is based on election matters. According to
him, the appropriate court to try electoral matter was the
Magistrate Court or High Court of the state. The same argument was
canvassed by the counsel to the other defendants.
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However, the prosecuting counsel, Francis A.Jirbo countered the
argument with the submission that the information before the court
is a money laundering charge for which the Federal High Court has
exclusive jurisdiction.
After listening to both counsel, Justice M. G. Umar adjourned
the case to January 20, 2021, for the ruling.
Pastor Ize-Iyamu and other defendants were first arraigned
before Justice P. I. Ajoku on an eight-count charge bordering on
money laundering on May 24, 2018.
The defendants were alleged to have sometime in March 2015 in
Benin City directly taken possession of the sum of seven hundred
million ( N700, 000,000) without any contract award which sum was
allegedly part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: fraud
and corruption.