Francis Ugwoke
15 October 2008
Enugu — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday brought additional 44 count charges of money laundering and corruption against the former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion and six others who had been standing trial before the Federal High Court Enugu.
With the new charges, the total count-charges against Igbinedion and others will now be 191, having earlier been slammed with 147 charges.
However, after the fresh charges were filed by counsel to the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, counsels to Igbenidion, Chief Adetunji Oyeyipo, (SAN) and Chief Nathaniel O. Oke (SAN) told the court that the additional charges were served to them only yesterday, explaining that they need time to study the charges.
According to Oyeyipo "We have flipped through it and found there are at least 44 new counts added, and in these new counts we observed that not less than 26 concern our client (Lucky Igbinedion)."
He also referred to the additional proof of evidence attached to the charges which was about 300 pages, and need time to study them, arguing that they had come to the court yesterday prepared only for the existing charges.
Noting the EFCC has the prerogative to amend its charges at any time, however added, "but we feel the exercise of that prerogative at this time is most unfair to our client."
He equally argued that it was surprising that the Commission which had all the time between June 27, 2008 to October 14, 2008 to file the additional count charges failed to do so, and pleaded that since the case was a grave one there was the need for them to be given enough time to study the charges.
He argued, "The accused person ought to be given reasonable opportunity to defend himself, as in section 36 of the 1999 constitution of the country, and for all I have said, due to no fault of ours, we're forced to apply for an adjournment of this trial, but if the prosecution is ready to proceed with the existing charge, we're ready because we feel that giving us less than one hour to go through the new charge is unfair and out of tune with the Law".
The two counsels to Igbinedion requested for at least two months to enable them reply to the additional charges.
Counsel to EFCC, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, who opposed the application, said it was ridiculous for a counsel to study the charges for too long a time, and drew the attention of the court to the fact that the public was watching the proceedings.
He accused the counsels of employing all kinds of ploy to delay the trial of the case, and requested the court to give them only two weeks to study the additional charges.
The trial judge after listening to the arguments of the learned counsels adjourned the case to December 1.
Counsels to Igbinedion also applied for the return of his international passport and deposit of his e-international passport to the court.
The court . had in April this year released Igbinedion's international passport to him to enable him travel out of the court.
Before the court received the two passports, Igbinedion's counsels had said that the return of the passports was a demonstration that their client was law abiding.
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