Posted by By OLA AGBAJE on
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, was on Monday arraigned before a Federal High Court, Lagos on a 51-count charge of money laundering.
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, was on Monday arraigned before a Federal High Court, Lagos on a 51-count charge of money laundering.
According to the charge read to Fayose at exactly 11.00 am, when he was ushered into the dock, the former state chief executive allegedly laundered a total sum of N941,896,020; $100,000 (N12 mllion) and £74,600 (N17 million).
The accused person, according to the charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), fraudulently converted the money in question to personal usage under the pretext of executing the controversial Integrated Poultry Project for his state.
The alleged offence brought against Fayose is punishable under Section 14(1) of Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004.
The prosecution alleged that Fayose used as conduit pipe the Biological Concept Nigeria Limited, the consultancy company handling the poultry project and Avian Specialist Nigeria Limited to siphon the various monies meant for the project into personal purse.
Specifically, EFCC alleged that the accused converted a sum of N67 million from the fund entrusted into the care of Biological Concept to build personal houses in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, while another N25 million was allegedly used by the accused to construct another personal house in his town, Afao Ekiti.
Apart from the alleged spending of poultry money on personal houses, Fayose was also accused of illegally deducting various sums of money from the account of Biological Concept in respect of the poultry project and allegedly concealing the source of the fund totaling hundreds of millions of naira.
Also, the former state chief executive was accused of using Avian Specialist to retain a sum of N156.4 million illegally deducted from the money entrusted into the care of Biological Concept for the execution of the poultry project for the state.
The accused person was also alleged to have collaborated with Biological Concept to swindle the state of millions of naira.
Fayose, however, pleaded not guilty to all the 51-count charge read to him by the court registrar.
In a rather surprise move, Fayose rejected the offer to be detained in EFCC custody and opted for prison custody.
Prosecuting EFCC counsel, Wahab Shittu, made oral application to the court for Fayose to remain in the EFCC custody following the rejection of the oral application for his bail made by his counsel, Yusuf Ali (SAN).
The trial judge, Justice Tijani Abubakar, rebuffed the attempt to move the oral application on the ground that certain facts relating to such important application cannot be raised from the bar by counsel.
The EFCC has lined up 32 witnesses including Fayose's personal assistant, Goke Olatunji and the managing director of Biological Concept, Gbenga James to testify against Fayose.
Justice Abubakar, while ordering Fayose to be remanded in Ikoyi Prison adjourned the matter for trial till January 10, 2008.
Fayose left the court waving to his admirers who came to court.