N11.5billion fraud: Absence of witness stalled Akala, 2 others trial
Justice Muniru Owolabi of the Oyo state High Court has adjourned the trial of the former governor of Oyo state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and two others over alleged N11.5billion fraud due to absence of prosecution witness in court. The trial judge of Court 15, Oyo State High Court on Thursday adjourned the matter till Friday, […]
Justice Muniru Owolabi of the Oyo state High Court has adjourned the trial of the former governor of Oyo state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and two others over alleged N11.5billion fraud due to absence of prosecution witness in court.
The trial judge of Court 15, Oyo State High Court on Thursday adjourned the matter till Friday, November 30, 2018 following pleas by the EFCC.
Other accused persons include former Commissioner, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Deputy Chief Whip in the upper Chamber, Senator Hosea Agboola and a businessman, Engr. Femi Babalola.
At the resumed hearing today, EFCC counsel, Dr. B. Uni had pleaded for two weeks grace to produce witness in court, after the court could not proceed on the trial of the defendants.
According to the the EFCC, the alleged fraud was committed when the first defendant, Alao-Akala was governor of the state between 2007 and 2011.
Agboola, the second defendant, at the time served as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters while Babalola owns an engineering firm, Pentagon Engineering Services that executed some contracts during the administration.
The EFCC had on October 11, 2011 filed the matter before Justice Moshood Abass of the court and the defendants were admitted to bail, which they perfected.
Justices Akintunde Boade and Bayo Taiwo had also sat on the case before the former retired and the latter was transferred out of Ibadan Division.
Alao-Akala was admitted to bail in the sum of N5million with two sureties in like sum, while the second and third defendants were also granted bail in the sum of N3 million each with two sureties in like sum.
But the three defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Owolabi on March 5, 2018, over the same matter by the EFCC.
The trio pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
The defendants are facing an 11-count charge of conspiracy, awarding contract without budgetary provision, obtaining by false pretence, acquiring property with money derived from illegal act and concealing the ownership of such property, among others.
Alao-Akala, was alleged to have ordered the supply of drilling machines on behalf of the 33 local government areas worth N3.5billion, and purportedly conspired with Ayoola to withdraw N2.9 billion from Oyo State Local Government Joint Account.
Alao-Akala was also said to have illegally acquired some property on Old Bodija Road, Off Rotimi Williams Road in Ibadan, when he was the governor.
EFCC said the alleged offences contravened Section 22 (4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act and Section 1 (18) of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act.