The trial of former chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Ngozi Olejeme was stalled on Monday over her health, Igbere TV reports.
Mrs Olejeme is on trial for alleged N3 billion fraud.
Her lawyer Paul Erokoro told Justice Maryam Aliyu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that Olejeme’s doctors called her to report immediately to the hospital, adding that she has fainting spells.
The lawyer said the defendant has been diabetic and hypertensive for 30 years and has had four major surgeries in the United States and South Africa.
He further said she recently suffered heart failure and COVID-19 and is still recovering.
Moved by the plight of the defendant and due to no objection to request for adjournment, Justice Aliyu fixed December 6 for resumption of the trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on October 21 arraigned Olejeme on a nine-count charge, in which she was accused of abusing her office, receiving bribe, awarding contracts without due process, among others.
She is alleged to have laundered N3 billion between 2012 and 2015 when she was the board chairman of the NSITF.
One of the charges alleged that the funds were diverted through the award of suspicious contracts to proxy companies.
The alleged offences, the anti-graft agency said, contravened the provisions of sections 8,19 (1) (b) (1), punishable under the Corrupt Practice & other Related Offence Act 2000 and Section 17, (1) (2), 39 of EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under the same section.
