TheCable

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) re-arraigned Adeyemi Ikuforji, former speaker of the Lagos state house of assembly, at a federal high court in Lagos on Wednesday.

He was re-arraigned alongside Oyebode Atoyebi, his former personal assistant over alleged N338.8 million money laundering charges.

The defendants were first arraigned on March 1, 2012, before Okechukwu Okeke, a judge, on a 20-count charge bordering on misappropriation and money laundering.

They had each pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail.

The defendants were, subsequently re-arraigned in 2014 before Ibrahim Buba, a judge, following a re-assignment of the case.

Buba discharged Ikuforiji and his aide of the charges, after upholding a no case submission of the defendants.

The EFCC disagreed with the verdict saying the court erred in the law and pushed for re-arraignment.

The Lagos division of the appeal court, in its judgement, agreed with the prosecution and ordered a fresh trial of the defendants before another judge.

In its verdict, the supreme court upheld the decision of the appellate court.

The trial began afresh before Mohammed Liman, a new judge.

The ex-speaker and his aide where brought for the judge with Ekele Iheanacho, a lawyer, appearing for the defendant while Dele Adesina, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) stood in for the prosecutor.

They however denied the 54-count charge of money laundering filed against them.

On hearing the date for the trial, the court permitted the defendant to continue on existing bail granted to them.

The case was adjourned till February 5 and February 20, 2019.

The court held that failure for the defendants to comply will attract a bench warrant.