Ladoja bought 22 cars for lawmakers to avoid impeachment, EFCC witness claims

MR Adewale Atanda, a prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, told a Federal High Court in Lagos how a former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, bought 22 cars to win the loyalty of 22 members of the House of Assembly.

The move, he said, was to avoid being impeached by the state lawmakers in 2005.

Atanda, a lawyer, also informed the court that out of the 22 cars bought by the former governor, 14 were given out to Ladoja’s loyalists in the state assembly, while the remaining eight were shared among the former governor’s family members.

The witness is a political associate of Senator Ladoja and the second to give evidence in the trial of Senator Ladoja and a former commissioner for finance, Mr Waheed Akanbi, who were arraigned before the court on charges bordering on laundering of N4.7 billion.

In the charge, marked FHC/L/336c/2008, the EFCC alleged that both Senator Ladoja and the former finance commissioner conspired to convert properties and resources derived from an illegal act, with the intention of concealing their illicit origin.

The duo were re-arraigned on an eight-count charge of money laundering, contrary to Section 17(a) and punishable under Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004.

The witness stated that when he noticed that there was attempt to impeach Senator Ladoja and to secure two-third members of the assembly members, he suggested that 22 vehicles be bought and given to the loyal lawmakers.

Atanda said to get the vehicles, he secured a loan of N80 million from Wema Bank, which he used his personal assets and guarantee to secure, as the finance commissioner was unable to raise the money from the state purse.

He stated that despite buying and sharing of the vehicles, Ladoja was impeached in December 2005, adding that immediately after the impeachment, a high court in the state declared the process illegal.

He also claimed that while in Lagos, each of the lawmakers asked Senator Ladoja to pay them N1 million each and the lawyers who handled the matter at the state high court also increased their fees from N50 million to N350 million, on the condition that the need may arise to prosecute the matter up till the Supreme Court.

He also stated that upon the enormous financial pressure on the former governor, he approached his bank, Lagoon Saving and Loan, for another N50 million loan, which he used his landed property in Victoria Island as guarantee.

He further stated that after he secured the loan, he issued a cheque of N35 million to the lead firm of lawyers that handled the matter in December 2006.

However, due to time, the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, adjourned the matter till March 27 and 31, for continuation of trial.