The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Bamidele Oloyelogun, over alleged fraudulent practices.
Oloyelogun was brought before the state High Court, Akure, on Tuesday alongside the lawmaker representing the Akoko South-West Constituency 2, Mr Felemu Bankole, and a staff of the Assembly, Mr Segun Bankole.
The preliminary objection filed by the defendants to prevent them from being tried was squashed by the court at the last hearing of the case.
The defendants had prayed the court that the EFCC had no power to prosecute them as the assets they were facing trial for belonged to the state, but the court held that the anti-graft commission had the power to investigate and prosecute the defendants for the alleged fraud.
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The speaker and others were charged on two counts bothering on fraud but they pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the EFCC.
The counsel for the EFCC, Kingsley Kudus, prayed the court on Tuesday to prayed the court to remand the defendants at the prison custody, but counsel for the defendants, Femi Emodamori, asked the court to strike out EFCC’s prayer for remand, saying that the administrative bail application on the defendants were still active.
Furthermore, Emodamori told the court that the Speaker, who is the second defendant, had health challenges and needed urgent medical attention.
Emodamori also asked the court to caution the nominal complainant (the former Deputy Speaker, Iroju Ogundeji) in the case for allegedly sending messages to the Speaker in an attempt to annoy him, warning that if Ogundeji failed to desist from such action, he would take a legal action against him. He declared that Ogundeji’s action towards his client was against the law.
In his ruling, Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye asked the defendants to continue enjoying their administrative bail till the next hearing and he adjourned the case till May 18, 2023 for proper hearing of the trial.