A Federal High Court in Lagos has threatened to jail a former junior defence minister and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) Musiliu Obanikoro for failing to turn up in court on Thursday.
Obanikoro, a former minister under the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan is a star prosecution witness in the fraud case against the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.
At the resumption of the case against Fayose on Thursday, Obanikoro was absent forcing the court to adjourned the case to March 18 and incurred the wrath of the presiding Judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had instituted a case of 2.2 billion naira fraud against Fayose while Obanikoro is the key witness deployed by the anti-graft agency to nail the former Ekiti governor.
However, on Thursday, the prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs told the presiding Judge that the absence of the key witness was due to the fact that he has been hospitalised at an Ikoyi Hospital.
Jacobs presented to the court a medical report from an Ikoyi hospital, stating that Obanikoro was ill.
Justice Olatoregun was unhappy about the turn of event and warned that the medical report had better been genuine or the hospital and the doctor that issued it risked the loss of their licences, if the court verified the report and it was not genuine.
She, however, directed that Obanikoro must come to the court unfailingly on the next adjourned date or risked being committed to prison for three months, “so that he can be coming to court in Black Maria.”
“He must present himself before the court on the next adjourned date or be compelled to do so,” Justice Olatoregun stressed.
Obanikoro, a former member of the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) is testifying against Fayose also a former associate over the case of funds obtained from the ex-National Security Adviser (NSA).
She, however, directed that Obanikoro must come to the court unfailingly on the next adjourned date or risked being committed to prison for three months, “so that he can be coming to court in Black Maria.”
“He must present himself before the court on the next adjourned date or be compelled to do so,” Justice Olatoregun stressed.
Obanikoro, a former member of the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) is testifying against Fayose also a former associate over the case of funds obtained from the ex-National Security Adviser (NSA).
0 comments:
Post a Comment