By Akin Kuponiyi
The Speaker of the Ogun State House Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo was this morning arraigned before a Federal High Court, in Lagos south west Nigeria over alleged N4.4billion fraud, by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission..
Others arraigned alongside the embattled Speaker are Directors of Finance of the State Assembly, Oladayo Samuel, as well as the Clerk of the House, Adeyemo Taiwo
When the eleven-count charge proferred against them were read to them they pleaded not guilty
After their arraignment, the presiding Judge Daniel Osiagor ordered that they should be remanded in the custody of the EFCC for a period of one week to perfect their bail, failure of which they will be transferred to the Nigerian Correctional Centre at Abeokuta.
Following their plea of not guilty, counsel to the Speaker (1st defendant ), Mr Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN told the court that his client is already enjoying administrative bail granted by the EFCC, however, a bail application has been filed on his behalf but there was a delay due to correction in the title of the application. He prayed the court to allow the defendants to remain in the custody of the EFCC pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
Also, counsel to the 2nd and 3rd defendants, Akinyemi Aremu and Oluwole Aladedoyin urged the court to grant the defendants bail in liberal and affordable terms.
In his response, EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo did not oppose the bail application, but left it at the discretion of the Court, but urged the court to direct that failure to meet up with their respective bail conditions within a week the defendants should be transferred to the Ogun State Correctional Centre, Abeokuta.
Ruling on their bail applications, Justice Daniel Osiagor granted the Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo bail in the sum of N300million with two sureties, while the 2nd and 3rd Defendants, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo were granted bail in the sum of N100million with two sureties in like sum.
The sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, and the title documents are to be deposited with the court registrar.
The defendants are to deposit their travel documents in the court registry.
Also one of the sureties must be a grade level 14 officer in either Federal or State Civil service.
Justice Osiagor also ordered the defendants to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC for a period of the one-week following, which they will be transferred to the Nigerian Correctional Centre at Abeokuta if they fail to fulfil their bail condition.
The eleven-count charge was filed before the court.
COUNT 1
That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) sometimes in 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to USE the total sum of N2,475,000,000.00 (Two Billion, Four Hundred and Seventy-Five Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (a), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
COUNT 2
That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between June 2019 and June 2020 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court used the total sum of N900,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act
.COUNT 3
That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between July 2020 and July 2021 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court used the total sum of N900,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
COUNT 4
That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between August 2021 and December 2021 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court used the total sum of N375,000,000.00 (Three Hundred and Seventy-Five Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
COUNT 5
That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between January 2022 and April 2022 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court used the total sum of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act 15 (3) of same Act
COUNT 6
That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo or about the 12th day of September 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court TRANSFERRED the sum of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira) to BENGRAPHICS, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
COUNT 7
That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo or about the 12th day of September 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court TRANSFERRED the sum of N1,100,000.00 (One Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira) to BENGRAPHICS, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
COUNT 8
That you, Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on or about the 22nd day of August 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/4/AUG/2019 wherein you claimed that the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) was received by one Adewunmi Tunde and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
COUNT 9
That you, Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on or about the 30th day of May 2020 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/11/MAY/2020 wherein you claimed that the sum of N30,250,000.00 (Thirty Million Two hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) was received by one ADESINA ABIMBOLA and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
COUNT 10
That you, Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on or about the 21st day of January 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/3/JAN/2019 wherein you claimed that the sum of N12,000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira) was received by one BABATUNDE ABIOLA and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
COUNT 11
That you, Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on or about the 26th day of January 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/4/JAN/2019 wherein you claimed that the sum of N16,000,000.00 (Sixteen Million Naira) was received by one ADEBOWALE JAMIU and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.