Alleged N2.2bn Fraud: Fayose’s Trial Begins Today

Hearing will today (Monday) commence in the trial of the immediate past Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, who was charged with an alleged N2.2bn fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC arraigned Fayose, alongside a firm, Spotless Limited, on October 22, 2018 before the Federal High Court in Lagos, six days after he bowed out of office as governor.

The 11 counts pressed against him bordered on criminal breach of trust, theft and money laundering.

But Fayose and Spotless Limited pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following an application by his lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), a former Attorney General of the Federation, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun admitted Fayose to bail in the sum of N50m.

She adjourned till November 19, 2018 for commencement of trial, stressing that the case would be heard on a day-to-day basis in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

In the charges, the EFCC alleged that on June 17, 2014 Fayose “took possession of the sum of N1, 219, 000,000 to fund your 2014 gubernatorial campaign in Ekiti State, which you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing.”

He was also accused to have, the same day, “received a cash payment of $5,000,000 from Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the then Minister of State for Defence, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law.”

In another count, Fayose was accused of “taking control of an aggregate sum of N317,000,000,” which he allegedly deposited into the bank account of Spotless Limited, “a company controlled by you and your family.”

He was also accused of “using an aggregate sum of N1,151,711,573 to acquire chalets 3 and 4, and 5 and 9 of the property situate at Plot 100 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos in the name of JJ Technical Service.”