Ondo Speaker and Lawmakers To Face Trial for Alleged 2.4 Million Naira

 The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Bamidele Oloyelogun, and two other lawmakers, who were alleged for fraud involving the sum of N2.4 million fund belonging to the Assembly.

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Consequently, the three lawmakers and one civil servant are to be arraigned before Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye, on April 24 and 25 for the alleged fraud, sequel to the dismissal of preliminary objection filed against their trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The fund was meant for a seminar, which the lawmakers and the civil servant were meant to attend, but didn’t.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commision (EFCC)  had dragged the Speaker, a lawmaker, Felemu-Gudu Bankole and a civil servant, Segun Oyadeyi Bankole to court for alleged misappropriation of N2.4 million belonging to the State Assembly.

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When the case came up for hearing, the lawmakers, argued that the EFCC lacked the powers to prosecute offences affecting the finances and assets of the state as there exists a law enacted by the Assembly to tackle corruption allegations in the state.

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The defendants in the preliminary objection filed to the EFCC charges by their counsel, Mr Femi Emodamori asked the Court to decline jurisdiction and strike out the charges against them because the EFCC has no right to prosecute them as the assets they were facing trial for belonged to the state goverment.

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But the Counsel to the EFCC, Mr Fredrick Dibang, said that the court has jurisdiction because the state’s law enacted by Assembly is contrary to the acts of the National Assembly that established the EFCC.
He argued that once there is a conflict between the law of a state and that of the National Assembly, the law of the state is suspended. However, in his ruling, Justice Adebusoye put the state law in temporary disuse  and held that the EFCC has the power to investigate and prosecute the lawmakers for the alleged fraud, which they were charged with.

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Adebusoye further stated: “The offences being against the defendants are not state offences proclaimed by the state legislation but a Federal offence, having been proclaimed by the National Assembly, though relates to finances of Ondo State Government.