TheCable

Osagie Ize-Iyamu, former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will on Tuesday return to the federal high court in Benin for a N700 million “election-related fraud case”.

On February 13, 2020, he and those standing trial with him had pleaded for a six-month adjournment of the case but the court declined the prayer, threatening to revoke their bail condition if they attempted to continue to delay the trial.

Ize-Iyamu and four top-ranking members of the PDP were re-arraigned on an eight-count charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of N700 million.

Other defendants in the case are Lucky Imaseun, a former deputy governor of Edo; Dan Orbih, PDP chairman in Edo; Tony Aziegbemi and Efe Erimuoghae Anthony.

The EFCC accused the defendants of conspiring among themselves to commit the offence in March, 2015, alleging that they took possession and control of the funds without any contract award from Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum.

The anti-graft agency also said the defendants allegedly made huge cash payments of various amounts to several people without going through a financial institution.