…As court adjourns to Nov. 7
From: WOLE BALOGUN, Ado-Ekiti
Efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to challenge the Appeal Court’s ruling dismissing the Commission’s application to get a Stay of Execution on the order to de-freeze the governor’s two accounts with a new generation bank, suffered setback, on Thursday, as the court adjourned the case to November 7.
Justice Hammad Belgore of the Appeal Court, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, gave the fact that a notice of hearing of the date of the motion filed by EFCC was not yet served on the second Respondent, the bank, as reason for the adjournment.
Governor Fayose has been having a running battle with the EFCC over the freezing of his two accounts on the allegation that the money in them were proceeds of crime.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court granted Fayose’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, an order to de-freeze the governor’s accounts by the bank on the grounds that the EFCC suppressed the fact that Fayose, as a sitting governor, enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution according to section 308 of the 1999 Nigeria constitution as amended.
Olowolafe Sunday, member of Fayose’s legal team, represented Ozekhome at Thursday’s hearing while Nnaemeka Owena appeared for the Appellant, the EFCC.
Adjourning the hearing of EFCC’s motion filed since June 22, to November 7, Justice Belgore said the court could not proceed on hearing the motion, on Thursday, as the hearing date notice was yet to be served on the second respondent which is the bank.