A Federal High Court in Lagos has, again, adjourned the trial of former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, over money laundering, News About Nigeria reports.
This was a result of the Court not sitting on Wednesday, as it was supposed to.
The case was adjourned until March 8 for the continuation of trial after it was confirmed that the judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, was away on an official assignment.
Recall that the former governor is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N6.9 billion in fraud and money laundering.
He was first arraigned on October 22, 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatotegun, alongside his company, Spotless Investment Ltd., on 11 counts bordering on fraud and money laundering.
Fayose is also alleged to have received a cash payment of five million dollars from the then Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution.
The Crimes Commission also alleged that the former governor retained N300 million in his bank account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622 million, which formed part of the crime proceeds.
The commission accused Fayose of using about N1.6 billion in crime proceeds to acquire property in Lagos and Abuja.
The former governor also allegedly used N200 million in crime proceeds to acquire a property in Abuja in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji.
Fayose, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on October 24, 2018, in the sum of N50 million with sureties in like sum.
The defendants were, however, re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Olatoregun following a petition by the EFCC.
