THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reopened a 12-year-old $1 million fraud case against Lagos lawyer and socialite Fred Ajudua.
The EFCC first instituted the suit against Ajudua in 2005 before Justice Morenikeji Obadina of an Ikeja high court.
The matter was however struck out in 2009 after Ajudua jumped bail and failed to appear in court on 24 occasions.
In the charge filed on February 9, 2005, the EFCC alleged that Ajudua and Joseph Ochunor sometimes in 1993 conspired to defraud one Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Limited based in Germany.
The commission alleged that Ajudua and co-defendant at various times collected an aggregate sum of $1,043,000 from the German businessman under the guise of financing a fictitious contract awarded by the Nigeria National Petroleum Commission (NNPC).
During the pendency of the suit spanning four years before Justice Obadina, Ajudua failed to appear for trial.
The development forced the court to issue a warrant for his arrest sequel to which the matter was struck out in 2009 by Justice Obadina due to failure of the anti-graft agency to produce the defendants.
When Ajudua resurfaced in 2013, the EFCC formally applied to the Lagos State Chief Judge to relist the matter and was re-assigned to Justice Josephine Oyefeso.
When the matter came up yesterday before Justice Oyefeso, EFCC counsel, Mr. S. A. Atteh, informed the court that the commission had on January 25, 2017 filed a motion seeking to reopen the case.
But counsel to Ajudua, Mr. Morrison Quakers (SAN) informed the court that his client has already filed a preliminary objection against the motion filed by the EFCC.
The matter, however, could not proceed as the court refused to grant the request of EFCC counsel to respond to Ajudua’s preliminary objection orally.
Tag: Ajudua
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EFCC re-opens 12-year-old $1m fraud case against Ajudua, one other
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Ex-Court registrar denies aiding Ajudua to defraud Bamaiyi
A former registrar, Oluronke Rosulu, has denied aiding Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua to defraud former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Ishaya Bamaiyi of $330,000.
Lagos State Controller of Prisons, Vincent Ubi, also told the court he never saw Rosulu, who was Ikeja High Court Registrar, visit the prison while he was there. Ubi was Deputy Controller of Kirikiri Maximum Prison in 2004.
Rosulu was alleged to have collected $330,000 from Gen. Bamaiyi while in detention at Kirikiri Prison by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
At the resumed hearing of the matter before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, Rosulu denied all the allegations levelled against her by the commission before the court.
Led in evidence by her counsel, Mr. Bamidele Ogundele, Rosulu said she started working with the judiciary in 1981 but that she also sells housewares to augment her salary.
She admitted that she was a registrar in Justice Oyewole’s court while Bamaiyi was standing trial in the same court and that that was when she knewthe complainant (Bamaiyi).
According to her, General Bamaiyi was then standing trial before Justice Oyewole.
“I was the senior registrar in that court before I was posted out sometime in March 2006 and that was the last time I saw Bamaiyi until I was invited to EFCC’s office in 2013.
“I never met ACP Abdullahi Garba before. I don’t know Fred Ajudua personally but I knew him as an accused standing trial. I did not collect money from anybody and I don’t know Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) one on one and I never work in his chambers,”she said.
Rosulu also denied the claim of by the commission that she visited the prison three times to meet with Ajudua.
“I was surprised on December 19, 2013 when Bamaiyi confronted me at EFCC’s office that he gave me money for Chief Afe Babalola and for Justice Oyewole.
“In the same room at EFCC’s office, ACP Garba was brought in and introduced himself to me and confronted me that I came to Kirikiri and I saw him with a Ghana Must Go bag and I told him there that I don’t know him. Garba and Bamaiyi were speaking Hausa language.”
She said the EFCC detained her for 18 days at the commission office, and her statement was taken.
She in addition told the court that the EFCC officials went to her house, search and took her cheque book, phones and receipt of the land she bought which was paid for by instalments.
When unnder cross examination by the EFCC counsel, Seidu Atteh, defendant maintained that she never met Bamaiyi until he was brought to stand trial in Oyewole’s court.
According her, three of them serve as court registrars in Justice Oyewole’s court and emphasised that she does not work on Saturdays.
Rosulu also contended that she does not work in Chief Afe Chambers and has never visited his chamber.
Earlier at the proceedings, former DCP of Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Vincent Ubi in his testimony said Garba and ACP Tajudeen Kehinde were subordinate staff to him and that they share same office.
He however clarified that Garba was on general duty.
Ubi, who was led in evidence by Ogundele, the defence witness, Ubi said there were rules on how money could be admitted into prison for the inmates.
“In the day to day performance of their duty, I was not with them because I have a different office. I may not know what happen in their office. There are rules of bringing money to prison then, any money belong to detainee will go to record and kept for them.
“Anybody that need the money will apply and I will approve and the inmate must give reason. Most of time they apply simply to pay their lawyers.”
He further told court that he met Bamaiyi as one of the detainees in Kirikiri prison.
Asked if Bamaiyi applied to collect dollars to pay his lawyer, Ubi told the court that the Prison authority don’t accept dollar and that there was never a time that approval was granted him to do that.
“When application is made, staff don’t bring the person to me, I only approve the application. I don’t know the defendant (Rosulu). I was not aware of the $330,000 the complainant said he brought to the prison.
Gen. Bamaiyi had in his testimony told the court that Rosulu allegedly aided Ajudua to defraud him of $330,000.
According to him, the money was meant to be part payment for professional fees allegedly charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to handle his trial for attempted murder of the publisher of The Guardian, Mr. Alex Ibru and two others.
Bamaiyi had explained that he met Ajudua and Alumile Adedeji a.k.a. Ade Bendel at Kirikiri maximum prison, while on remand at Kirikiri Prisons.
According to him, the alleged fraud took place between November 2004 and June 2005 while he was on remand alongside Ajudua in Kirikiri Maximum Prison.
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My firm didn’t collect money from Ajudua, says Afe Babalola
Legal luminary Chief Afe Babalola yesterday said his firm, Afe Babalola Chambers, did not receive any payment from Lagos socialite Fred Ajudua to represent a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi.
Chief Babalola spoke through a Managing Partner, Adebayo Adenipekun, while testifying at the trial of a court registrar, Oluronke Rosolu, before a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja.
Led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Seidu Atteh, Adenipekun told the court, presided over by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, that as the head of administration of the chamber when the said transaction took place, he would know if any payment was made and from whom.
He contended that the law firm also had no dealing either with Bamaiyi or Ajudua.
“Ajudua did not brief our firm to represent Bamaiyi at any time. That is not correct. We did not receive any legal fee from Ajudua in respect of the general.
“We were never briefed to represent Bamaiyi and we did not receive any money from Ajudua,” Adenipekun maintained.
After Adenipekun made the disclosure, the court adjourned the matter till today for continuation of trial.
Lt.-Gen Bamaiyi had alleged that Rosulu, a former registrar to Justice Joseph Oyewole, collected $330,000 from him on behalf of Ajudua on November 20, 2004.
He claimed the money was given to her as part-payment of the legal fees requested by Afe Babalola Chambers to represent him in his murder charge before Justice Oyewole.
According to Bamaiyi, the alleged fraud took place between November 2004 and June 2005 while he was on remand alongside Ajudua in Kirikiri Maximum Prison.
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EFCC withdraws fraud case against Ajudua
Dressed in green kaftan, pale-looking Fred Ajudua felt elated yesterday after a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja discharged him of an alleged $1.69m fraud case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
However, his joy was shortlived. Reason: Though discharged, the embattled socialite was sent back into prison custody pending the verdict of the Court of Appeal regarding his bail denial by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye in an alleged $8.4m fraud charge involving a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi.
Justice Kudirat Jose discharged Ajudua of the $1.69m fraud case levelled against him 11 years ago by the EFCC, following the commission’s inability to provide key foreign witnesses to give evidence.
The socialite and his co-defendant, Charles Orie were first arraigned before Justice Joseph Oyewole in 2003 for allegedly defrauding two German businessmen, Remy Cina and Pieere Vijgen of $1.69 but jumped bail in 2005 until his re-appearance in 2013 after a bench warrant for his arrest was issued by Oyewole.
His bail was revoked by Oyewole following his antecedents and on February 5, this year, the defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Jose on a four-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money and inducing payment by false pretence following Justice Oyewole’s elevation to the Court of Appeal.
They were alleged to have conspired with Rasheed Adekunle, Abisola Fawehinmi, and Stephen Joiner – who are still at large – to commit the crime between 1999 and 2000.
The defendants were alleged to have deceived their victims by claiming that the money was for sundry payments to various government officials, to help in facilitating the award of an $18 million contract for the Dutch men.
But while Ajudua was denied bail by the court despite his ill health, the EFCC on its part, failed to produce key foreign witnesses in the matter, thus stalling the trial.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to EFCC, Mrs. E.A. Sanusi told the court that the commission’s inability to provide key foreign witnesses was because some of them refused to come to Nigeria to give evidence.
She told the court that some of the principal witnesses had cited the Ebola outbreak as reasons for their inability to come into the country to give evidence.
In that circumstance, Sanusi said the commission was left with no other option than withdrawing the charges.
Hence, the trial court, in light of the EFCC’s submission, dropped the charges against Ajudua and Orie.
Reacting to the development, counsel to Ajudua, Olalekan Ojo, told The Nation that he was elated that one of the two criminal charges against his client was gone.
“Yes, he will be returning to custody but one thing is clear; out of the two criminal cases against him, one is gone and so, we can now concentrate on one with the conviction that it is well,” he said.
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EFCC withdraws fraud charge against Ajudua
A Lagos High Court, Ikeja, on Tuesday discharged socialite Fred Ajudua of an alleged $1.69million fraud case instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The presiding judge, Justice Kudirat Jose, discharged Ajudua because of the commission’s inability to provide key foreign witnesses to give evidence in court.
The socialite and his co-defendant, Charles Orie were first arraigned before Justice Joseph Oyewole in 2003 for allegedly defrauding two German businessmen – Remy Cina and Pieere Vijgen of $1.69 million, but jumped bail in 2005 until his reappearance in 2013 after an arrest warrant was issued by Oyewole.
The duo were alleged to have conspired with Rasheed Adekunle, Abisola Fawehinmi and Stephen Joiner, who are still at large to commit the crime between 1999 and 2000.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, counsel to the EFCC, Mrs. E.A. Sanusi, told the court that the commission’s inability to provide key foreign witnesses was because some of them refused to come to Nigeria to give evidence.
She told the court that some of the principal witnesses had cited the Ebola outbreak as one of the reasons for their inability to come to the country to give evidence.
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Alleged fraud: Ajudua denied bail again
A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday turned down, for the second time, a bail application filed by Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua.
The court presided over by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye rejected Ajudua’s application in which he sought for bail.
Ruling on Ajudua’s application, the judge held that there was no special circumstance warranting the court to grant the defendant bail.
Ajudua is standing trial for allegedly defrauding the former Chief of Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi of $8.4 million.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) had arraigned Ajudua for allegedly collecting money from Bamaiyi while they were both in custody at Kirikiri Prison in Lagos between November 2004 and June 2005.
The EFCC claimed that Ajudua and others still at large defrauded Bamaiyi through false claims that the money represented the professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to handle Bamaiyi’s case and to facilitate his release from prison.
Ajudua had insisted that Bamaiyi be put on trial also for admitting that he offered bribe.
He had also pleaded not guilty to the charge after the court refused his application.
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Fraud: Court fixes May 13 for ruling on Ajudua’s bail application
An Ikeja High Court on Friday fixed May 9 for ruling on a bail application by suspected fraudster, Fred Ajudua.
Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye fixed the date after hearing arguments from Mr Seidu Atteh, the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Ajudua’s counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ajudua is being prosecuted for allegedly defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi of about $5.9 million (about N1 billion).
He is facing a 14-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.
Ojo, who urged the court to grant Ajudua bail on liberal terms, argued that there was overwhelming medical evidence before the court he was suffering from a life-threatening ailment.
He said:“The defendant (Ajudua) is a kidney patient and his only surviving kidney is about to collapse.
“The medical facility at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, where his health is seriously failing, cannot adequately meet his medical needs.”
Ojo tendered a medical report dated Aug. 12, 2013, which was issued by Dr Adebisi Ogunjimi of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to support his submissions.
He said the defendant was ready to face trial contrary to the claim by the EFCC that he absconded to India after he was granted bail on medical grounds in another criminal case.
“The defendant voluntarily came back to Nigeria even when he knew that his bail had been revoked.
“The voluntary submission of the defendant to the prosecuting authorities and the court constitutes an exceptional circumstance which should be taken into judicial notice by the court.”
Responding, Atteh argued that there was likelihood that Ajudua would jump bail if the application was granted.
Atteh said that Ajudua absconded in 2005, after he was granted bail by Justice Joseph Oyewole, also of an Ikeja High Court.
Meanwhile, the court has dismissed another application by Ajudua seeking the inclusion of his extra-judicial statement in the proof of evidence.
In a short ruling, Ipaye held that the Ajudua refused to make the same statement after three attempts by the EFCC before the case was charged to court.
The judge said Ajudua was at liberty to take the stand and give his own oral evidence during the trial
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Ajudua: My Kidney is about to collapse
Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua on Tuesday told a Lagos high court, Ikeja that his health is failing.
Ajudua told the court through his lawyer, Olalekan Ojo that he is a kidney patient and that his only surviving kidney is about to collapse.
The claim was contained in a motion on notice filed by his counsel, Olalekan Ojo seeking for Ajudua release on bail to enable him seek medical attention outside the prison walls.
Ajudua is standing trial before the court presided by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.
He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) before the court for allegedly defrauding former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd.), of about $8.395m while in prison custody.
Ojo also filed a separate motion seeking a court order to compel the EFCC to obtain his clients statement and include same in the proof of service.
EFCC had alleged that Ajudua refused to make statement to the agency while investigation on the fraud was going on.
At the resumed hearing of the matter Tuesday, Ajudua’s counsel, arguing on why his client should be granted bail, said that the facilities at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison is grossly inadequate and cannot take care of Ajudua’s health condition.
“The medical facility at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, where his health is seriously failing, cannot adequately meet his medical needs,” he said.
Ojo argued further that because of the peculiar and complicated nature of Ajudua’s ailment, he requires specialist with Hi-tech medical equipment to manage his health effectively.
He said the defendant would abide with the terms of the bail and would not tamper with the prosecution witnesses.
But EFCC lawyer, Saidu Atteh told the court that in the light of Ajudua’s new application, he would need more time to respond appropriately.
Justice Ipaye granted his request and adjourned the matter till May 9, 2014 for hearing.
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$5.9m fraud: Ajudua seeks fresh bail
A one-time Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, on Tuesday filed a fresh bail application before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye at an Ikeja High Court.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ajudua is standing trial for allegedly defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, of $5.9 million (about N1 billion).
He was arraigned on March 11 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 14-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, his counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo, informed the court that the defendant’s bail application had been served on the EFCC.
In the application, Ojo urged the court to grant Ajudua bail on liberal terms, adding that there was is overwhelming medical evidence that he was suffering from a life-threatening ailment.
He said: “The defendant (Ajudua) is a kidney patient and his only surviving kidney is about to collapse.
“The medical facility at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, where his health is seriously failing, cannot adequately meet his medical needs.”
According to him, because of the peculiar and complicated nature of Ajudua’s ailment, he requires a specialist with Hi-tech medical equipment to manage his health effectively.
Ojo said the defendant would abide with the terms of the bail and would not tamper with the prosecution witnesses.
He also told the court that the defendant had filed another application asking for the inclusion of his extra-judicial statement in the proof of evidence.
Responding, the EFCC counsel, Mr Seidu Atteh, said he needed time to file replies to both applications, as they were served on the prosecution a few days ago.
The judge granted his request and adjourned the matter till May 9, for hearing of the applications.
NAN reports that Justice Kudirat Jose, also of an Ikeja High Court, had on March 31 dismissed Ajudua’s bail application.
Ajudua is facing another $1.69 million fraud charge before the judge.
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$1.69m fraud: Ajudua to know fate on bail application in March
An Ikeja High Court on Thursday fixed March 31 for ruling on the bail application filed by a Lagos businessman, Fred Ajudua, charged with 1.69 million dollars fraud.
Justice Kudirat Jose fixed the date after hearing arguments from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mrs E.A. Sanusi and Ajudua’s counsel, Chief Charles Edosomwan (SAN).
Ajudua and one Charles Orie are being prosecuted for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen – Messrs Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen, of 1.69 million dollars (about N252.8 million).
They were re-arraigned before Jose on Feb.5 following the transfer of the case from the former trial judge, Justice Joseph Oyewole.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Orie was on March 12 granted bail while Ajudua is still being remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos.
Addressing the court on Thursday, Sanusi said the EFCC had filed a 16-paragraph counter affidavit on March 10 opposing Ajudua’s application for bail.
Sanusi argued that there was likelihood that the first defendant (Ajudua) would jump bail and interfere with the prosecution witnesses.
“My Lord, it is a 2003 case and we have not been able to do anything. We have only called six witnesses to testify against the defendants,” she said.