THE Economic and Financial Crimes on Thursday told Justice Hakeem Oshodi of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja that it still has more witnesses to call in the trial of embattled Federal High Court Judge, Justice Rita Ofili Ajumogobia.
Rotimi Oyedepo, the EFCC Prosecutor told the court that the prosecution had filed late, an additional list of witnesses and had just served the defence that morning.
The EFCC prosecutor said the proof of evidence of their next witness; one Dr Olumuyiwa Solanke was served late on the defence by their team due to a regrettable omission.
“Our next witness is one Dr Olumuyiwa Solanke, whose proof of evidence was filed and served on the defence this morning.
“It is the constitutional right of the defence to adequately prepare for their defence.
“I have to apologise to the defence for filing Solanke’s proof of evidence just this morning, it was omitted from the file from where I made copies of the other witness statements which were earlier filed.
“I would not be posing to their request for an adjournment,” he said.
At Thursday’s proceedings, an EFCC witness, Mr Musa Tahir, who is a Nigerian Customs Officer told the court that he did not know the purpose for which N12million was paid into the bank account of embattled judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia By the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
“I have seen Hon Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, but I have never met her one on one, I don’t know why the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) said the money should be paid into my colleague’s Musa Omale’s account to be forwarded into the company account of the judge.
“I don’t have the paper in which the CGC wrote the directive; the paper was handed over to Omale who worked in my office.
“I don’t know the source of the money, the CGC who gave the directive is still alive,” Tahir said, while being cross examined by Ajumogobia’s counsel, Olawale Akoni SAN.
Tahir, while giving his evidence-in-chief on May 26, had told the court that the NCS had paid N12million sourced from 12 Area Commands into the bank account of the judge.
Justice Oshodi thereafter adjourned the case till September 29 for continuation of trial.
Ajumogobia is standing trial alongside Godwin Obla, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria following allegations of giving and receiving bribe.
The second defendant, Obla, while appearing in a matter before Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, allegedly offered a gratification of N5m to the judge to allegedly induce the judge to refrain from acting in the exercise of her official duties as a public officer.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was also accused of receiving a total of $793,800 in several tranches from different sources between 2012 and 2015.
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