Defendants’ absence stalls arraignment of Wigwe, eight others

The arraignment of the Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe and eight others at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, over alleged $6.3 million fraud, was yesterday stalled due to absence of some defendants.

When the matter was called yesterday, Wigwe and four other defendants were absent in court.

Wigwe’s counsel, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), said they had filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to determine the matter.

The prosecution counsel, Emmanuel Jackson, said he had not been served the application but the trial judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, instructed Usoro to serve him a copy in court.

The judge, therefore, said the proceedings could not continue since all the defendants were not in court and adjourned till June 3, 2019.