The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday re-arraigned a former Governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, before a Federal High Court, Lagos, over N4.7 billion money laundering.
Ladoja was arraigned alongside his former aide, Waheed Akanbi, on eight- count charge of money laundering, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The duo pleaded not guilty to the charges.
After their pleas were taken, the prosecutor, Mr. Oluwafemi Olabisi, asked the court to fix a date for commencement of trial.
The defence counsel, Mr. Bolaji Onilenla and Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, informed the court of their clients’ bail applications.
Onilenla, representing Ladoja, urged the court to allowhis client to continue on the bail conditions earlier granted him in 2008 by Justice A.R. Mohammed.
He submitted that the first accused had kept good faith with the terms and conditions of the bail and that there was no single incidence of default.
He assured the court that his client will “behave himself’’ and make himself available for trial.
Onilenla said in case the court is not inclined to allowing Ladoja to continue with the previous bail conditions, it should grant him bail on liberal terms.
Counsel to the other accused person, Olumide-Fusika, also aligned himself with the submissions of Onilenla.
The prosecutor objected to the bail application and urged the court to refuse the same on the grounds that the accused had frustrated trial for years through their appeals challenging the competence of the charges.
