A High Court sitting in Akure, the state capital has granted the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) prayer to prosecute the Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr David Oleyeloogun and two other lawmakers for alleged fraud.
The other lawmaker is Hon Felemu Bankole, and a staff of the House of Assembly, Mr Olusegun Kayode.
The order follows the application by a lawyer, Mr Fredrick Dibang to the anti-graft commission demanding for the prosecution of the lawmakers for alleged fraud committed in 2019.
The lawmakers through their counsel, Dr Remi Olatubora SAN has written to the court to strike out the charges against them over the failure of the EFCC to comply with the Practice Direction of the State judiciary which mandates it for federal government agencies to get the consent of the judiciary before prosecuting in the state courts.
However, EFCC in its application sought the court’s permission to prosecute in conformity with the Practice Direction of the judiciary.
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According to the EFCC, the lawmakers committed the fraud in 2019, when they were supposed to attend a two-day seminar organised by the National Productivity Centre, Lagos, adding that the lawmakers request for funds to be sent out for four members of the Committee on Tertiary Education to attend the seminar scheduled for Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th December 2019.
EFCC disclosed that the people to attend the Seminar included the former Clerk, the Deputy Speaker, the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education and two members of the committee.
The document details for the fund stated that the seminar was aimed at Institutional productivity, Consciousness and Excellence in service among workers and organisations in both public and private sectors, as well as accord workers and organizations the platform in achieving high productivity as well as giving impetus to the seminar in charting the pathway in revitalizing the Educational Sector.
However, it was discovered that there was no such seminar organised, while the money released by the state Ministry of Finance amounting to N2.4million, was alleged to have gone into private pockets.
The counsel to EFCC said the anti-graft commission was presumed to arraign the lawmakers and the civil servants in the court yesterday but needed the court’s permission which has now been obtained.
Justice Adebusuyi who granted the order asked the anti-graft agency to serve the lawmakers with fresh charges against them and the hearing of the case was fixed for October 27.
In his ruling, Justice Adegboyega Adebusuyi granted EFCC order at the resumed hearing of the case.
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