An Ondo State High Court, in Akure on Monday fixed February 23 for the arraignment of the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Bamidele David Oleyeloogun, and two members of the assembly.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had dragged Oleyeloogun and his colleagues to court for alleged N2.4million seminar fraud in 2021.
Also to be arraigned by the Commission EFCC are the speaker, former clerk of the Assembly, Bode Adeyelu and three other staff of the Assembly.
The suspects included the lawmaker representing Akoko South West 1, Felemu Bankole, two civil servants attached to the Assembly; Olusegun Kayode and Afolabi O. J. were arraigned over the alleged fraud.
It was learnt that the suspect’s arraignment could not proceed yesterday due to the faulty method of service of the court process.
Counsel to the lawmakers, Dr Remi Olatubora, SAN, informed Justice OS Kuteyi that the suspects could not be arraigned because they were not properly served the charges against them by the EFCC.
According to Olatubora, the anti-graft agency has not made the charges against the suspects available to prepare the defence.
He noted that the suspects were in court based on media reports.
While countering the position of the counsel to the suspects, the EFCC counsel, Mr K U. Kudus, said he had served the suspects through the House of Assembly.
Kudus, however, prayed the court to proceed with the trial of the suspects.
Countering the EFCC counsel, Olatubora said personal service is compulsory in criminal proceedings and failure to do that would prevent the court from going ahead with the case.
The presiding judge, Justice Kuteyi, thereafter fixed the hearing of the trial to February 23.
