The prosecution team in the corruption case against Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court and his wife, Olabowale has indicated its plan to charge Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Joe Agi, with the couple.
Agi is named, in the 11-count charge against Justice Ademola and his wife, as being the source of various gratifications to the judge, some of which were allegedly received through the judge’s wife’s bank account.
Lead prosecution lawyer Segun Jegede, told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama yesterday that there was a plan to amend the charge to include Agi as the third defendant.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola
In count one of the original charge, the judge and his wife were said to have conspired between March 11 and 24, 2015, to receive gratification from Messrs Joe Agi and Associates through their accounts 206/174191/2/0 and 201/110160/1/0 domiciled at GTBank Plc, and committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000.
Mrs. Ademola alone is accused, in counts two, three and four, of receiving N10m gratification thrice from Messrs Joe Agi and Associates through her GTBank account on behalf of her husband between March 11 and 24, 2015, an offence contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000.
Justice Ademola is, in count eight, accused of receiving gratification of a BMW saloon 320i, valued at N8m from Joe Agi, through his son, Ademide Ademola, an act contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act, 2000.
Although the case was adjourned to January 18 for trial after the couple was arraigned on December 13 last year, yesterday’s proceedings were conducted owing to an application by the defendants, who are seeking accelerated hearing in the case.
In the application filed for the couple by their lawyers, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and Roberts Clarke (SAN), the defendants said they would prefer an abridgement of the time to allow for prompt disposal of the case.
They hinged their application on the provision of Section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
The prosecution team did not oppose the defence’s application, following which the trial judge, Justice Okeke, adjourned to January 11 for possible re-arraignment of the defendants on the planned amended charge.
The judge fixed January 16 for the prosecution to commence trial.
