Fayose pleads not guilty to fraud, money laundering charges

Former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, Tuesday pleaded not guilty to alleged fraud after he was re-arraigned at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Fayose, who was arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, was also charged alongside his company, Spotless Investment Ltd for the N6.9 billion fraud case.

Defence counsel, Ola Olanipekun, applied for the temporary release of the accused’s international passport, to enable him to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The judge granted the request but ordered Fayose to return the passport to the court registrar on or before September 16.

Aneke maintained the existing bail condition of N50 million with a surety in like sum on the former governor.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Fayose on October 2018 for an alleged fraud of N2.2billion before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, six days after he completed his tenure as governor.

He was arraigned alongside his firm, Spotless Limited, on 11 counts bordering on criminal breach of trust, theft and money laundering.

The prosecution opened the trial on November 19, 2018, and called 13 out of its 15 witnesses when the EFCC wrote a petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, requesting that the case be transferred from Justice Olatoregun.

It was subsequently transferred to Justice Aneke.

The hearing has been scheduled to continue for September 16th to 19th, and October 21st to 25th.