The Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, has, again, granted permission to a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, to travel abroad for medical treatment.
The former governor is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (INEC) for an alleged N2.2 billion fraud.
Following an application by his lawyer, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Justice C.J. Aneke, for the second time, granted Fayose permission to go abroad for treatment.
The judge had, in July, first granted Fayose permission for a foreign medical trip.
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The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), did not oppose the Friday’s request.
After granting the travel permission, Justice Aneke adjourned till January 16, 2020 for continuation of trial.
Fayose is being prosecuted alongside a firm, Spotless Limited.
In the charges, the EFCC alleged, among others, that Fayose, on June 17, 2014, “took possession of the sum of N1, 219,000,000 to fund your 2014 gubernatorial campaign in Ekiti State, which you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing.”
The former Ekiti State governor was also alleged to have on the same day “received a cash payment of $5,000,000 from Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the then Minister of State for Defence, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 1 and 16(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty.