24th October, 2023
By Sandra Umeh
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday has further adjourned until Nov. 20 for adoption of written addresses in the trial of a surgeon Anuoluwapo Adepoju charged with evasion from investigation into a failed plastic surgery.
The case which was scheduled for adoption of addresses on Tuesday did not go on as earlier scheduled
The case has consequently being adjourned until a new date of Nov. 20.
The defendant is charged by the Federal Competition and Consumers Protection Commission (FCCPC).
She is standing trial alongside her Clinic, MedContour Services Ltd, on a five-counts charge bordering on a refusal to honour an invitation for investigation into a post-body surgery complications, as well as production of investigation documents.
She was re-arraigned on July 17, 2020 alongside her Medical outfit, before Justice Mohammed Liman.
She had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on self recognizance.
Justice Liman was subsequently transferred out of the Lagos division of the court, but he still presides over the case on a fiat.
Trial has since commenced in the suit and the FCCPC had also since closed its case.
The defence on its part, filed a no case submission for the defendant on grounds that no case had been established against her by prosecution, to warrant her entering a defence.
Meanwhile, Justice Liman had in a ruling delivered on April 7, 2022 rejected the no case submission by the defendant.
Justice Liman had ruled that the evidences so far tendered before the court, satisfies the elements of the criminal charges pending against the defendant.
The court had then ordered the defence to open its case.
The case however suffered several adjournments on different dates for various reasons.
On May 5 (this year) the defence opened its case and called the first defendant as sole witness.
The defendant was led in evidence and also cross examined after which the court adjourned the case until June 21, for adoption of written addresses.
On June 21, the court did not sit and the case was then adjourned until July 17, and again adjourned until Oct. 24 (today).
Hearing will now resume on the new date Nov. 20.
In the five-counts charge brought against the defendants, the prosecution alleged that, the first defendant failed to appear before the FCCPC in relation to investigation into a reported failed plastic surgery.
The defendant was alleged to have failed to show up, in compliance with the commission’s summons dated April 15, 2020.
The prosecution also alleged that without sufficient cause, the first defendant also refused and failed to produce documents which she was required to produce in compliance with the commission’s notice of investigation dated April 14.2020.
The defendant was alleged to have prevented and obstructed the commission from carrying out its investigation into the said issue.
The offences contravenes the provision of sections 11(1)(a), 33(1)(a), 110, 113(1)(a) and 159(4) of the FCCPC Act, 2018.