By Emma Njoku
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till April 4, 2023, the trial of a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Olasupo Shasore, SAN.
Shasore is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge bordering on alleged bribery of public officers.
Head, EFCC Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement, yesterday, explained that the Commission had, on Friday, October 21, 2022, arraigned Shasore for the offence, which is contrary to and punishable under Section 9(1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, on or about the 18th day of November 2014, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, corruptly gave the sum of $100, 000.00 to one Mrs. Olufolakemi Adelore (then Director, Legal, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources) on account of the role she played in the arbitral proceedings instituted by Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) against the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.”
The second count reads: “That you, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, on or about the 18th day of November, 2014, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, corruptly gave the sum of $100,000.00 to one Mr. Ikechukwu Oguine (Secretary to the Corporation and Coordinator, Legal Services, NNPC) on account of the role he played in the arbitral proceedings instituted by Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) against the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
At yesterday’s proceedings, the prosecuting counsel, Bala Sanga, informed the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial.
“The matter was adjourned till today for trial. We have two witnesses in court, and we are ready,” he said.
The lead defence counsel, Chijioke Okoli, SAN, however, informed the court that the defence had filed an application before the court dated December 2, 2022 seeking an adjournment, adding that the defence needed some more documents from the prosecution.
Sanga confirmed receipt of the said application.
“We won’t object, as long as the defence accepts that the adjournment is at its instance,” he said.
Okoli, thereafter, moved the said application.
Addressing the court on the request of the defence for more documents, Sanga said: “This is one case out of about 103 cases on investigations going on around Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID).
“At the moment, there are roughly, at least, 21 ongoing criminal trials. What that means is that, apart from the trials, we have 153 files, with a volume of papers running up to more than 30,000. We can only volunteer to give them what we can because the law says what is required is proof of evidence and not proof of defence. We are more than happy to oblige them with documents that are relevant.”
Sanga further intimated the court that the parent case involving P& ID commences in London in January, and that he is “a counsel in advisory capacity.”
Justice Dada adjourned the matter till April 4, 5 and 6, 2023 “for trial”.