EFCC arraigns Alao-Akala, Senator on corruption charges

Posted by admin EFCC Politics, Latest Politics Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

A former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, was on Tuesday arraigned at the State High Court, Ibadan, accused of misappropriation of state funds, concealment and fraud.

Alao-Akala, slammed with 11 counts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, was arraigned before Justice Mashood Abass, with his former Commissioner for Local Government, who is currently representing Oyo North in the Senate, Senator Hosea Agboola; and Chairman, Pentagon Engineering Services, Mr. Olufemi Babalola.

The three pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against them.

The ex-governor’s counsel, Mamman Osman (SAN), asked for bail following which the judge adjourned till Wednesday (today) for ruling on the bail application while Alao-Akala and the others were ordered to be remanded in the custody of the State Security Service.

However, the arraignment of an ex-governor of Ogun State, Otunba Ghenga Daniel, did not take place in Abeokuta as expected; ditto that of an ex-governor of Nasarawa State, Akwe Doma, who was billed to be arraigned in Abuja on Tuesday.

Alao-Akala, Daniel and Doma were all picked up by the EFCC last Thursday and detained in Abuja over allegations of misappropriating a total of N101bn public funds.

The anti-graft agency had said on Monday that the governors would go on trial beginning from Tuesday.

Aides and supporters of Daniel waited in vain for hours in the premises of the court on Abeokuta. There was no official clarification as at the time of going to press on why the arraignment of Daniel did not take place.

One of his counsel, Mr. Yemi Oke, however in a statement at the court announced that Daniel had commenced hunger strike to protest his non-arraignment.

“Because of the worsening condition under which he is being held and the curtailment of his fundamental rights, the former governor has declined food and medication, which has raised serious concern about his health,” Oke said.

He faulted the EFCC for allegedly flouting court processes seeking to enforce the fundamental human rights of the ex-governor.

He said Daniel’s continued detention without formal charges amounted to infringements on his fundamental human rights.

He said, “Under normal circumstances, Otunba Daniel should have been arraigned in court since he has spent more than the required period specified by law in detention. But at the time of issuing this statement, he has not been arraigned in court and no charge has been preferred against him. Yet he is being detained and his fundamental human rights curtailed for no just cause. Only his wife is allowed access to him.

“This morning (yesterday), the EFCC has been served with court processes by Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s lawyers led by Professor Taiwo Osipitan (SAN) and Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) seeking to enforce his fundamental human rights. This has been ignored by the agency.

“This disposition of the EFCC has left us with no alternative than to conclude that there are other motives for the continued detention of Otunba Daniel other than the investigation of an alleged crime.

Otherwise, he should have been admitted to administrative bail or formally charged to court.”

In Ibadan, the EFCC alleged that Alao-Akala , “sometime in 2009, engaged in the acquisition of property known as ‘Ile-Itesiwaju’ located at No 32, Oba Adebimpe Road, Old Gbagi, Ibadan, Oyo State and a property located at Bodija ,off Rotimi Williams Street, Ibadan.

“Alao-Akala sometime in 2006 engaged in concealing the genuine nature of the ownership of a property at 4, Bromholm Road, Abbeywood, London (SE2 9ND) in the name of one Oyewole Ayemidara Akala. Alao- Akala also engaged in concealing the genuine nature of the ownership of a property at 124, Gladstone Road, Merton SW 19 QW, London in the name of one Magdalene Mojisola Akala which said property was derived from criminal act.”

Osman who led three other SANs, Bolaji Ayorinde, Nathaniel Oke, and Folu Oguntade, with other lawyers, urged the court to stand the case down till 4 o’clock so as to enable it hear the bail application for the accused person.

Osman, who said that his team had received the prosecution’s petition at 3am on Tuesday and filed the bail application, submitted that nothing should stop the prosecution from replying to their bail application by 4pm.

The counsel said that Alao-Akala’s detention in the custody of the EFCC since October 6 up till Tuesday when he was arraigned was a breach of the constitutional provision and, therefore, pleaded for speedy determination of his clients’ bail application.

While delivering his ruling, Justice Abass, said the court would be unfair to the prosecution if it did not give consideration to the mandatory constitutional period to reply to the bail application.

He, therefore, adjourned the hearing of the bail application till 12pm today and detained the three accused persons in the custody of the SSS at Aseshinloye area of Ibadan.

-Vanguardwp_posts