Justice Mohammed Idris, sitting at the Federal High Court, Lagos has adjourned for judgement in the trial of a former governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja, who is standing trial over an alleged N4.7billion fraud.
At the resumed trial on Monday, the prosecution and the defence presented their final written addresses and canvassed closing arguments; the court informing them that judgement date would be communicated to the parties in the case at a later time.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed Ladoja with an 11-count criminal charge alongside Mr Waheed Akanbi, who was Oyo State Commissioner for Finance during Ladoja’s administration.
Ladoja’s lawyer, Mr Bolaji Onilenla, in his argument, while adopting his written address, contended that the charges filed by the EFCC against his client were defective and bound to be dismissed by the court.
Onilenla argued that in filing the charges, the prosecution not only muddled up offences which ought to have been charged separately, the charges did not disclose any substance, just as they contained non-essential elements.
“Where the essential elements of a charge are missing, such a charge is a nullity because in the first place, there is no charge and not even an amendment can cure it.
“So, we urge your Lordship to, on the basis of these objections, quash the charges. The court is urged to discharge and acquit the 1st defendant,” Onilenla said.
He argued that the EFCC failed to adduce any direct or circumstantial evidence to show that Ladoja’s former Senior Special Executive Assistant, Chief Adewale Atanda, acted under Ladoja’s instructions to meet with stockbrokers who sold shares belonging to Oyo State.
“Though PW2 (Atanda) described the proceeds of shares as impeachment funds, PW3 and PW4 denied this. PW4, Oba Kola Daisi, said there was never any impeachment fund,” Ladoja’s lawyer added.
On the allegation that Ladoja used N77.1m out of the shares’ proceeds to purchase a property, Quarter 361, Onilenla said Atanda had in his testimony stated that a loan was taken to purchase the property.
“So, that means it (Quarter 361) could not have anything to do with the issue of shares,” he said.
He added that the EFCC failed to prove its allegation that Ladoja sent £600,000 from the state coffers to his daughter, Bimpe Ladoja, who was in London at the time.
“Vital witnesses were not called; all the issues raised as to the competence of the charges, none has been addressed. I sympathise with the prosecution.
“On the whole, the prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. On the other hand, the 1st defendant has discharged the burden placed upon him by this court. The prosecution has proved nothing,” Onilenla said.
On his part, Akanbi’s lawyer, Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), argued that the case presented before the court by the prosecution was fraught with inconsistencies, adding that the testimonies of the third, fourth and sixth prosecution witnesses were contradictory.
Olumide-Fusika accused the prosecution of desperately searching for non-existent evidence to “do my client in,” adding that even the prosecutor, Mr Olufemi Olabisi, knew and had admitted that there was no case against Akanbi, but because the case file was only handed over to the prosecutor, “he found it difficult to advise them (Federal Government) to withdraw the charges because there is no case.
“Your Lordship will see the weakness of their case, which they themselves were conscious of and it reflected in their submissions.
“If you do not have evidence against a party, why drag him to court? I am urging Your Lordship to courageously do justice between the parties and say, if you don’t have evidence, don’t charge people to court,” Olumide-Fusika said.
According to him, Ladoja’s ex-aide, Atanda, whom the EFCC converted to a witness, was supposed to be the one on trial, rather than Ladoja and Akanbi.