6th February, 2019
Akin Kuponiyi
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Wednesday adjourned the trial of former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Olajumoke Akinjide, to March 6
Akinjide, along with Senator Ayo Adeseun and a Peoples Democratic Party stalwart, Chief Olanrewaju Otiti, are being tried on an amended 24-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N650 million.
During today’s proceeding, Akinjide’s counsel, Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, moved a motion asking the court to release his client’s international passport in order for her to be able to travel to the United Kingdom, for her daughter’s wedding.
The application was granted by the court.
Counsel to Adeseun and Otiti, also brought an application before the court, seeking that the Judge should recuse himself from their trial on the grounds that he was a former employee of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and would, therefore, be bias.
Consequently, Justice Hassan fixed March 6, to rule on the application.
The defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Hassan on January 16, 2018 on the amended charges.
A prosecution witness, Usman Zakari, had told the court in his evidence that the defendants collected the money at the Dugbe branch of a commercial bank Ibadan, Oyo State, on the standing instruction of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Investigations by the EFCC had revealed that the N650 million was part of a total sum of N23 billion, which Diezani had allegedly warehoused in the bank in the buildup to the 2015 general election.