EFCC honours court summon over Fayose’s freezed accounts

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday appeared before a Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti to defend why the two accounts operated by Governor Ayodele Fayose at Zenith Bank Plc were frozen by the agency.

While opening his defence at yesterday’s proceeding, Oyedepo, who submitted 10 exhibits and 20-paragraph affidavit, said: “We received the order of the court on June 29 this year at our office in Lagos directing us to appear before your lordship to show cause why a mandatory order being craved by Fayose should not be granted to de-freeze the two accounts already restricted in the bank of the applicant which is in the custody of the second respondent.

“We have complied with your order as a law-abiding agency by filing all necessary papers and the plaintiff and the second respondent have been duly served”, he said.

But the lead counsel to Fayose, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who sought for adjournment to be able to respond to issues raised by the EFCC, in his reply said: “My lord, I was served three minutes to the start of today’s hearing.

“But glancing through this bulky document, virtually all the issues raised were issues we never touched upon.

“We don’t want to be caught by the cul de sac of the Supreme Court’s averment that evidence not denied are deemed admitted, because it is a trite law.

“It is only reasonable and proper that we be given the opportunity to traverse everything they have raised and argue and with this, they have foisted an adjournment on us”, he said.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo adjourned the case till September 30, 2016 on the request of Fayose’s counsel.

The presiding judge assured that all the pending applications and the substantive suit would be taken together expeditiously.

The judge, who broke the news of his vacation, which he said would make it difficult for a short adjournment, suggested to the parties that the matter could be transferred to a vacation judge in Abuja and Port Harcourt to handle if the adjourned date seems afar, which the plaintiff’s lawyer had vehemently rejected.

Ozekhome said: “My lord, the vacation judge may find it difficult to understand the background of the issue. You are aware of everything and we are not in a hurry. We will wait till you come back”, he said.