Court adjourns trial of Ondo APC chief November 3

A Federal High Court in Lagos has adjourned the trial of the Ondo South Senatorial District leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr. Taiwo Malumi, till November 3 and 4 2016.

The medical doctor was arraigned before the court by the Nigeria Police Force’s Special Fraud Unit (SFU), on allegation of N40 million fraud.

In a one-count criminal charge marked, FHC/L/302C/16, was alleged to have fraudulently obtained under false pretence, the sum of N40 million from one Nick Shaiyen, the managing director of a company, Whitehall Management Limited.

He was alleged to have obtained the money under the pretext that he wanted to sell to Shaiyen a property known as Unit B9, situated at Funtai Court 3, Ruxton Street, Ikoyi, Lagos which he claimed to be free from all encumbrances.

According to the prosecuting officer, Mr. Ekong Sunday, the offence committed by the APC chieftain contravened section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud related Offences Act, 2016.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail by the court. But at the resumed hearing of the matter, the new prosecutor, Mr. Effiong Asuquo, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), informed the court that parties (the accused and the complainant) were attempting to settle the matter out of court. But the date of settlement was yet to be agreed upon.

Counsel to the accused person, Mr. A. Salami, confirmed that both parties initiated the settlement process. He also said the APC chief had already paid back the sum of N13 million to the complainant, and that he was ready to abide by the terms of settlement.

Salami, therefore, urged the court to adjourn for a month to enable his client give a monumental amount to the complainant.

But the prosecutor informed the court that the complainant wants the court to urge the accused to pay back within a week and that failure to do this, means that the agreement has broken down and the court should adjourn for trial.

Subsequently, Justice AbdulAziz Anka, upheld the prosecution’s submission, and adjourned the matter till November 3 and 4 for trial of the accused person.