An Ondo State High Court in Akure has granted permission to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to prosecute Ondo Speaker Bamidele Oleyeloogun and some lawmakers over alleged fraud.
Lawyer to the EFCC, Frederick Dibang, had filed an application seeking the court’s permission to prosecute the lawmakers for alleged fraud committed in 2019.
Apart from the lawmakers, other persons to be prosecuted are Felemu Bankole, and an official of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Olusegun Kayode.
The lawmakers were said to have committed the fraud when they collected money to attend a two-day seminar organised by the National Productivity Centre, Lagos, but did not show up at the seminar or refund the money.
Those that reportedly collected the money to attend the Seminar included the former Clerk, the Deputy Speaker, the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education and two members of the Committee on Tertiary Education.
The EFCC said: “The seminar was aimed at institutional productivity, consciousness and excellence in service among workers and organisations in both public and private sectors, to accord workers and organizations the platform in achieving high productivity as well as giving impetus to the seminar in charting the pathway in revitalizing the Educational Sector.
“However, it was discovered that there was no such seminar organised while the money released by the Ministry of Finance amounting to N2.4million, was alleged to have gone into private pockets.”
Lawyer to the lawmakers, Dr Remi Olatubora, however, asked the court to strike out the charges against them on the grounds of failure of the EFCC to comply with the Practice Direction of the State judiciary which made it compulsory for Federal Government agencies to get consent of the judiciary before they could prosecute in State’s courts.
But the EFCC, in its application, sought the court’s permission to prosecute in conformity with the Practice Direction of the judiciary.
In his ruling on the matter, Justice Adegboyega Adebusuyi granted the order and asked the EFCC to serve the lawmakers with fresh charges against them.
Dibang said the lawmakers and the civil servants were supposed to be arraigned on Wednesday but needed the court’s permission.
The case has been adjourned till October 27.
