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Ladoja escapes bench warrant 

By Joseph Onyekwere
27 November 2016   |   4:42 am
Former governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, yesterday escaped the issuance of arrest order against him, following his physical presence at the Federal High Court, Lagos. 

 

Former governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, yesterday escaped the issuance of arrest order against him, following his physical presence at the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Former governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, yesterday escaped the issuance of arrest order against him, following his physical presence at the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on November 21 urged the court to issue a bench warrant against Ladoja for failing to appear in court to answer N4.7 million money-laundering charges against him.

Reacting to the application for a warrant, counsel to Ladoja, Mr. Bolaji Onilenla, had told the court that he was not aware that the business of the day was for the arraignment, because there was a pending appeal before the Supreme Court.

He informed the court that after the decision of the Court of Appeal, Ladoja had changed his counsel and then filed an appeal at the Supreme Court.

He stated that neither the accused nor their counsel were served with any summons to appear in court. Onilenla had also challenged the prosecutorial powers of the prosecutor on the grounds that the fiat to prosecute was exclusively given to Festus Keyamo and could not be transferred to any other person in his chambers.

Delivering his ruling on the issue yesterday, Justice Mohammed Idris said he would not make any orders as to arrest, since the accused was present in court.

The Judge also turned down the request of defence counsel for a stay of proceedings, pending the outcome of an appeal challenging the prosecutorial powers of the commission under the money laundering Act, saying the request was against the provisions of Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, which allows speedy hearing of criminal cases.

Similarly, Justice Idris dismissed the objection of defence counsel challenging the appearance of the prosecution’s counsel, Olabisi Oluwayemi (from Keyamo’s chambers) and fixed December 14 for arraignment.

The EFCC had in November 2008 arraigned Ladoja, along with his former aide, Chief Waheed Akanbi, before Justice Ramat Mohammed, who was then serving at the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court.

The anti-graft agency alleged that the two men conspired to convert properties and resources derived from an alleged illegal act, with the intention of concealing their illicit origin.

The agency also alleged that Ladoja used N42 million out of the proceeds to purchase an Armoured Land Cruiser Jeep and remitted about 600,000 pounds to one Bimpe Ladoja in London.

Ladoja and Akanbi had both pleaded not guilty to the charges at the trial court and had urged the court to quash the charges, but the lower court refused their prayer.

Dissatisfied, Ladoja had appealed against the decision, but the Court od Appeal, in its judgment delivered by Justice Sidi Bage, disallowed the appeal and ordered the former governor to continue his trial at the lower court.

Justice Bage, in his lead judgment, which was unanimously adopted by two other Justices, had held that the EFCC had statutory powers to prosecute under Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2004.

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