The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed amended prices towards Adeniyi Adeyemi, the purported director normal of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).
The prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), informed the court docket that ICPC expanded the earlier 22 counts to 36.
Tahir stated that 4 suspects — Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe — are additionally included within the new cost.
The case was initially filed by the Nigerian police.
Monday’s proceedings, which was initially slated for listening to of Adeyemi’s bail software, was halted due to the cost ammendment, requiring all defendants, together with Adeyemi, to enter their pleas.
However, the plea taking couldn’t proceed as a result of the fourth defendant, Omameh, was absent from court docket on well being grounds.
The remainder of the defendants have been in court docket.
”Her unavailability in court docket has constrained the prosecution from continuing with the arraignment, this, being a legal cost,” Tahir stated.
He relied on Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA) for his software.
Tahir argued that an accused individual needs to be current in court docket all through trial, “subject to the exception stated therein”.
He, subsequently, urged the court docket for a brief adjournment to permit the fourth defendant time to get well and enter her plea.
Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu (SAN), didn’t object to the amended cost or adjournment.
However, he reminded the court docket of Adeyemi’s extended detention.
Meanwhile, Justice Yusuf Halilu adjourned till November 18 for the arraignment of the suspects.
He nonetheless, ordered that Adeyemi needs to be taken again to Kuje Correctional Facility and for the opposite defendants to return to the ICPC detention facility. (NAN)
