The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday accused former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, who is standing trial on 80-count corruption and money laundering charges, of playing smart by delaying the commencement of his trial.
Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, told a Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, at which Justice E.A. Obile presided, that the refusal of the defence counsel to allow trial to proceed was deliberate.
Jacobs referred to an application before the court, seeking to quash the charges preferred against Fayose’s co-accused persons – Spotless Investment Limited, Fayerio Nigeria Limited and Hoff Concept Limited – as part of the delay tactics.
At the resumed sitting on Wednesday, defence counsel, Abayomi Sadiku, prayed the court to hear an application he filed seeking to quash the charges preferred against Fayose’s co-accused.
But Jacobs opposed the application, saying at the last adjournment of the court, it was agreed that Fayose’s trial would resume and not his defence counsel’s application.
He said he was served the defence’s counsel application in court just before proceedings started.
“The motion served on me this morning (yesterday) is not in the business of the court today. The matter is for trial. I have mobilised my witnesses from Lagos. The charge he is challenging was filed in 2009. Three years after, he is seeking to quash the charges. That application is not ripe for hearing,” Jacobs said.
He urged the court to be wary of the EFCC Act, which stipulates accelerated hearing of corruption charges.
“I urge the court to give effect to the Commission’s Act by giving accelerated hearing to the case,” Jacobs said.
He canvassed that the application can still be taken as the counts which the 2nd and 3rd accused wanted the court to drop cannot interfere with the charges against the first accused and that the witnesses he was presenting were in court because of the first accused. However counsel to Ayodele Fayose, Otunba K. Kalejaiye, SAN urged the court to dismiss the submission of Rotimi Jacobs, saying that, a matter of jurisdiction and competence of the charge should be given priority.
He also said that it will be wrong to hear the case piecemeal as it was a joint trial. On his part, counsel to the 4th accused, Ahmed Tarfa also asked the court not to hear the case, alleging that he was not served all relevant court processes.
The EFCC re-arraigned Fayose and the three others on an 80-count charge before Justice Obile on July 5, 2011 at the Ekiti Federal High Court after Fayose challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court Lagos on the grounds that the alleged offences were committed in Ekiti State. The case was subsequently transferred to Ekiti State where it started denovo. Fayose was first arraigned in 2009 on charges of corruption and money laundering.
Additional Reports from The NATION.