TRACKING____The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday adjourned the ‘N673 million laundering’ trial of ex-Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi, till September 30.
The court did not sit, but Justice Mohammed Liman communicated the date to defendants and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through the court registrar.
Justice Liman said he fixed the date in compliance with a directive from the Federal High Court Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho.
It was learnt the directive, issued in January, required judges not to open new trials until the process of the Federal High Court judges’ transfer was complete.
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The directive stalled all new cases slated for trial at the Federal High Court. The transfer is expected to be completed this month.
Section 396 (3) (4) of Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 requires that upon arraignment, a defendant’s trial shall be held daily, but if impracticable, it should not exceed two weeks.
EFCC’s lawyer Ekele Iheanacho decried the adjournment, saying the date was beyond the annual court vacation, beginning in July.
Ikuforiji and Atoyebi are facing a N673 million laundering charge filed by EFCC. The commission said the money belonged to the Lagos State government.
The Federal High Court in Lagos discharged them of same allegations in 2015, saying they had no case to answer.
But the Supreme Court reversed the ruling. Ikuforiji and Atoyebi were re-arraigned on December 11 before Justice Liman.
In the new charge, dated June 4, 2013, EFCC filed 56-counts against the former speaker and his aide.
It alleges that Ikuforiji and Atoyebi, between April 2010 and August 2011, conspired to commit crime, to wit, accepting cash amounting to N673 million from the Assembly without going through a financial institution, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Act 2011.
