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Trial stalled in N8billion currency scam

By Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan
03 July 2015   |   12:27 am
Hearing in the N8billion currency scam involving 22 bankers accused of theft and recirculation of defaced and mutilated currencies to the public has been stalled following untidiness from counsel in the filing of processes One of the defence counsels, Olalekan Ojo had told the court at the resumed sitting that he needed to reply to…
Some of the suspected CBN officials and others on arrival for arraignment at a Federal High Court in Ibadan  on Tuesday by the EFCC over their involvement in the over N80billion currency fraud.                  PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Some of the suspected CBN officials and others on arrival for arraignment at a Federal High Court in Ibadan  by the EFCC over their involvement in the over N80billion currency fraud. PHOTO: NAJEEM RAHEEM

Hearing in the N8billion currency scam involving 22 bankers accused of theft and recirculation of defaced and mutilated currencies to the public has been stalled following untidiness from counsel in the filing of processes

One of the defence counsels, Olalekan Ojo had told the court at the resumed sitting that he needed to reply to the counter affidavit, which was served on him by the prosecution team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Another defence counsel, Bolanle Olayinka also told the court that the prosecution team had not served him with the counter affidavit to the motion moved by Ojo, saying it was necessary because his client is joined in the case.
Mr. Nathaniel Oke (SAN), also shared the same view, holding that all clients in the case must be served.

Justice Olayinka Faji, however, ordered that hearing notices and production warrants should be served on all the parties involved in the four cases filed before the court. He then adjourned the case to July 10 for hearing of pending applications.

Ojo had moved a motion on notice at the last sitting of the court that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court should transfer or assign one of the four cases before the court – FHC/IB/34C/2015, to another judge of the Federal High Court for trial.

He also sought in the alternative an order that the court presided over by Justice Faji should disqualify itself from hearing the charges preferred against the second and third defendants, Olaniran Muniru Adeola and Toogun Kayode Philip, on the allegations that the constitutional rights of the duo to “fair trial will be or impaired by reason of likelihood or real likelihood of bias on the part of the presiding Judge.”

The two accused were among the 10 persons, whom the court denied bail on June 19, this year.

In the motion, Ojo accused the court of already convicting his clients in its ruling on their bail application when the case had not been heard by the court.

According to him, the court alleged that his clients were ‘deeply involved’ in the offences they were alleged to have committed.

But Jacobs argued otherwise saying the ruling of the court did not convict the accused before the trial,.

The EFCC counsel pointed out that Ojo was economical with the truth by saying Justice Faji said the second and third accused persons were ‘deeply involved’ in the offence, whereas, the judge said the suspects ‘seemed to have been deeply involved.’

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