The Federal High Court, Lagos has adjourned indefinitely further hearing in the money laundering case against former Governor Rasheed Ladoja of Oyo State, pending the determination of his appeal.
In his ruling on an application by Ladoja to stay further proceedings, Justice Mohammed Idris said it was necessary to adjourn the case indefinitely.
Idris said as a sign of respect for the Justices of the Court of Appeal and as a matter of law, he would adjourn the case pending the decision of the appellate court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on March last year re-arraigned Ladoja and Waheed Akanbi, a former Oyo State Commissioner for Finance and Budget, on an eight-count charge.
They were accused of laundering about six point five billion naira of the state’s funds while in office.
The commission alleged that the accused laundered the funds sometime in twenty zero seven through the account of a firm, Heritage Apartments Limited, in Guaranty Trust Bank.
The Commission also alleged that Ladoja used about forty-two million naira to purchase an armoured Land Cruiser Jeep and sent about seventy point eight million naira to one Bimpe Ladoja in London.
The accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the crime.
Ladoja had, through his Counsel, Bolaji Onilenla, urged the court to stay further proceedings in the matter pending the determination of his appeal challenging its ruling that refused to quash the charge against him.
Counsel to the Commission, Festus Afeiyodion, however, urged the court not to stay further proceedings on the grounds that mere filing of an appeal did not amount to a stay of further proceedings.
No comments:
Post a Comment