There was confusion at the Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta on Thursday as Isaac Akogun, a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the state’s former Governor Gbenga Daniel told the court that a file containing records of properties allocated to the former governor had gone missing.
Akogun, a deputy director with the Ogun State Bureau of Lands, explained that the original letters of allocation of property to the former governor could not be found as the file containing the documents was missing.
Ex-governor Daniel was slammed with a 38-count charge of stealing public funds to the tune of N211.3 million.
Akogun told Justice Olanrewaju Mabekoje that his ministry does not have the files suggesting that they may have been taken away by the former Director- General.
The lead defence counsel, Taiwo Osipitan, who was quizzing him, however, presented copies of letters of allocation dated 31st May 2012 and 6th June 2012 to Akogun, asking him to confirm if they are genuine. The documents were tendered and admitted as exhibits 31 and 32 after he authenticated them. Akogun denied knowledge of another letter of allocation presented by Osipitan.
The Counsel to the EFCC, Adebisi Adeniyi, who held brief for Rotimi Jacobs, told the court that the EFCC witness was unable to confirm if the letter emanated from his office arguing that only a certified true copy is admissible in court.
“The accused person should have the original with him. If this copy must be admitted, it has to be certified, therefore, I urge your lordship to reject this document as an exhibit,” Adeniyi said.
Justice Mabekoje, agreed that the document was relevant to the matter and admitted it as exhibit 34. The trial was adjourned to 16th and 17th October.
