A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to produce a former senator, Ayo Adeseun over the sum of N650m he, together with a former minister, Jumoke Akinjide and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State, Olanrewaju Otiti, allegedly collected to fund the PDP campaign for the 2015 presidential election in the state.
This is just as the court order the remand of Akinjide and Otiti.
The EFCC is arraigning Akinjide and the other suspects for allegedly collecting the sum from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The charge sheet with number FHC/IB/26c/2017 accused the defendants of conspiring to take possession of the N650m unlawfully.
It also accused them of committing an offence contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundry Act, 2012 punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4) of the Act.
The charge sheet read, “That you Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke (still at large), Jumoke Akinjide, Senator Ayo Adeseun and Chief Olanrewaju Otiti, on or about March 26, 2015, in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired among yourselves to directly take possession of N650m which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section (18) of the Money Laundering Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.”
Akinjide and Otiti, however, pleaded not guilty to the 12 counts against them. The EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the former FCT minister had agreed with the anti-graft commission to enter a plea bargain and to be remanded in the EFCC custody instead of Agodi Prison.
The presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdul-Malik, ordered that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned the case till September 12, 2017.
She also adjourned hearing on the bail application for Otiti till July 6, 2017.
