The money laundering case against Rt. Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, suffered another setback on Wednesday, when it was adjourned till Thursday by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
Ikuforiji, a top contender for the 2015 governorship election in Lagos, is facing an amended 56-count charge alongside his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi.
Part of the charges include that they alleged accepted cash payments of over N273 million from the Assembly, without going through a financial institution just as Ikuforiji was also alleged to have used his position to misappropriate about N500 million of the Assembly’s fund, an offence breaching the provisions of Section 18(a) of the money laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011.
On Wednesday the trial was stalled following the absence of the prosecutor, Chief Godwin Obla as counsel to the accused, Mr. Tunde Akirinmisi, informed the court that he had a letter from the prosecutor, informing him of his absence from court.
Justice Ibrahim Buba, the presiding judge, asked the court registrar to read out the letter in the open court in which Obla said he was absent because of a matter he was also handling before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Obla appealed for the matter to be adjourned to 5th and 6th June to enable him attend and prosecute his case. The counsel for the accused did not object.
The judge therefore adjourned the case as requested by Obla. He added that the bail earlier granted the Speaker and his aide should continue.
The trial follows the re-arraignment of Ikuforiji and Atoyebi by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after the retirement of Justice Okechukwu Okeke, the former judge.
