The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has closed case in the N500m laundering trial of former Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji.
The agency closed its case after presenting 2nd witness to testify against the Speaker and his former Personal Assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi, on 54 counts amended charge
Ikuforiji and Atoyebi are facing amended 54 counts bordering on alleged diversion and laundering of N338m belonging to the Lagos State House of Assembly.
They were re-arraigned before Justice Liman December last year, five years after they were earlier discharged of the offences by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the same court in 2014.
Upon their re-arraignment before Justice Liman, they pleaded not guilty.
At today’s proceedings, the witness, Adewale Olatunji, identified the former speaker and his personal assistant in the dock.
He recalled receiving two letters from the EFCC, the first concerned the agency’s intention to investigate the Speaker’s financial dealings and the second was an invitation to him to appear before the Commission in relation to the investigation.
“When they came, I directed staff of house to cooperate with them and give them what they required,” Olatunji said, adding that he later honoured the invitation at the EFCC’s Abuja headquarters.
The witness confirmed that he was aware that the EFCC officials demanded for and were given documents.
“The documents were majorly cash registers,” he said.
Upon being shown one of the documents – which were in the courts possession as exhibits – the witness Identified same as a certified true copy of a cash register forwarded to EFCC by the HoA.
After the testimony, Ikuforiji’s counsel, Mr Dele Adesina, SAN, asked for a short date to either open defence or file a no-case submission.
Subsequently, Justice Mohammed Liman granted his prayer and fixed March 24 for Ikuforiji to open his defence in the alleged money laundering charges preferred against him.
Wahab Akinlade
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