BY BEN MEMULETIWON
It is not yet uhuru for the former Governor of Oyo State, Bashorun Adebayo Alao-Akala, who was told on Monday that he must have his day in court over a N11.5 billion allegation of fraud levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Giving a ruling on Monday, Justice M. L. Owolabi Oyo State High Court in Iyaganku, Ibadan, told the former Governor matter-of-factly that he must face trial over the malfeasance he reportedly committed while in office.
The case has dragged for seven years, having started in 2011.
Justice Owolabi quashed the stay of proceeding application filed by the ex-Oyo State Governor, seeking to pend trial on the allegation until the outcome of an appeal at the Supreme Court.
The judge said: “Stay of proceedings will do more damage to the case, which has been pending since 2011,” as he ordered the prosecution to assemble all its witnesses at the next date.
Alao-Akala, alongside a former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hosea Agboola, and the Chief Executive Officer of Pentagon Consults, Olufemi Babalola, is standing trial for offences bordering on alleged criminal conspiracy and fraudulent practices to the tune of N11.5 billion.
In a statement issued by EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday, the EFCC further put the matter in perspective.
The EFCC spokesperson said the defendants were earlier arraigned on an 11-count charge by the anti-graft agency. After the arraignment, their trial was stalled, following their applications to stay further proceedings/trial pending the determination of their appeals at the Supreme Court by counsel to the first and third defendants, A.O. Afolabi (SAN) and A. Ogunwole (SAN).
Their motions were, however, opposed by the prosecuting counsel, Ben Ubi, who urged the court to throw out the applications and order for accelerated hearing of the case in accordance with the intendment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Oyo State, 2016 and Section 19(2)(b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(Establishment) Act, 2004.
The case was then adjourned to June 29 and July 3, 2018, for trial.
