The immediate past Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, who is facing 18-count corruption charge, yesterday asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to suspend her trial.
The Ex-HoS and others were arraigned by the anti-graft agency EFCC over their alleged involvement in money laundering and Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) fraud. EFCC, further accused the Ex-HoS of collecting kick-backs on contracts while she was in service, collecting Estacodes and ticket fees for journeys not embarked on. The Ex- HoS also collaborated with her co-defendants to disguise the genuine ownership of funds diverted into accounts of various private companies.
At the resumed proceedings in the matter on Tuesday, all the Defendants, through their respective lawyers, applied for their trial to be adjourned sine-die (indefinitely), alleging that EFCC engaged in gross abuse of the judicial process.The defence lawyers – Mr. Paul Erokoro, SAN, Chitto Veronica, Augustine Amanukwa and Okechukwu Ajunwa- alleged that EFCC had despite the pendency of the matter, gone before another court and obtained an order that froze bank accounts of some of the Defendants.
Oyo-Ita through her lawyer Erokoro, SAN, ask the court to adjourn the suit indefinitely till prosecution provides to the court, evidence that they have taken steps to correct this error and that they are now prepared to prosecute this matter in one Court.
The Prosecution counsel, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, while admiting that EFCC secured an interim forfeiture order against some of the Defendants, he told the court that there are two separate charges marked FHC/ABJ/CR/60/20 and FHC/ABJ/CR/61/20, relating to the alleged offence that was committed by the Defendants. Abubakar further explained that some bank accounts listed in the interim forfeiture application were mentioned in both charges pending before Justice Taiwo Taiwo and Justice Inyang Ekwo of the high court. He said after the EFCC filed the application to freeze the bank accounts, the Chief Judge of the Court, assigned the matter to another judge, Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogubanjo to handle.
Having listened to both parties, Justice Taiwo adjourned to rule on whether he would continue the trial or not.
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