The Federal High Court Abuja on Wednesday, asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), the prosecuting agency in the ongoing trial of former Head of Service, Stephen Oronsaye, to put its house in order.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order after the defendants complained that the numbering of documents the prosecution placed before the court was different from what was served on them.
One of the defendants’ counsels, Mr Ade Okeaya-Inneh, SAN, told the court that all documents tendered as exhibits had to be numbered properly.
“There are some documents the prosecution was supposed to tender which were not properly numbered.
“Procedurally, they have to number those documents in order to assist the court and it also helps us.
” They had served us some documents before and they served another set today, they were supposed to have served them together so that we can follow during examination in chief so it will be untidy for the court to go on,” Okeaya-Inneh said.
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For his part, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Oluwaleke Atolagbe said that the documents had been served on the defendants before.
He, however, said that the prosecution would heed the court’s advice in the interest of justice.
“The court ordinarily always insists that all the documents to be tendered as exhibits should be numbered from beginning to the end as a bundle.
” We have a document that is about 496 pages, part of the document was served on them before yesterday and the remaining part was served on them yesterday.
“So the complaint of the second defendant’s counsel was that the pagination on the document is different from what is before the court.
“However in the wisdom of the court, it said since we served only yesterday, we should go and put our house in order that we ought to have served them much earlier.”
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until Dec. 2, 3 and 4 for the prosecution to call its three remaining witnesses.
Orosanye is standing trial alongside Osarenkhoe Afe and his company, on a 49-count charge bordering on alleged pension fraud.
(NAN)
