ERASTUS AKINGBOLA AND EFCC BOSS, FARIDA WAZIRI

Akingbola arraigned on alleged fresh theft charges.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday docked former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Erastus Akingbola and one Bayo Dada before an Ikeja High Court for alleged stealing.
The anti-crime agency had dragged Akingbola and his aide, Dada, before Justice Habeeb Abiru over alleged fresh 29-count charge bothering on theft.
Akingbola's wife, Anthonia, who was also named in the charge and had earlier been declared wanted by the EFCC was, however, not docked as she was absent from court.
The EFCC had alleged that the three accused persons stole over N47.1 billion belonging to the bank when Akingbola was the Chief Executive Officer.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, a mild drama occurred as counsel to EFCC, Kola Awodein (SAN) prayed the court to order the accused persons to move into the dock.
Counsel to the accused persons, Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN) in his objection argued that his clients had a pending application that must be heard by the court before any such decision could be taken.
Fagbohungbe said: `` procedurally, the application before your Lordship is that the prosecution cannot arraign the accused persons now until our pending motion is considered.
However, Awodein countered the argument saying the motion filed by the defense counsel could not prevent the court from sending the accused persons to the dock.
Awodein submitted that Section 210 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law requires that the accused, in a criminal case, sits in the dock or adjacent to it.
In his short ruling, the judge held that since the application of the accused persons did not challenge the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter, it was best for them to be moved into the dock.
Accordingly, the judge ordered Akingbola and his aide to move into the dock.
However, the much awaited arraignment was again stalled as Fagbohungbe informed the judge that the EFCC had just served him a copy of its written address to the accused person’s application for stay of proceedings.
Fagbohungbe had earlier filed an application for stay of proceedings, as well as prayed the court for an order compelling the EFCC to release Akingbola from custody.
The stay of proceedings was on the grounds that the accused were being charged for offences for which they were already standing trial before Justice Charles Achibong of a Federal High Court in Lagos, who had already granted them bail.
Abiru, however, turned down the prosecution’s application to relocate the accused persons from the custody of EFCC to prison custody.
The matter was adjourned to May 23 to enable the defense to respond to the written address and hearing of other pending issues.