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JUST IN: Fayose Discharged, Acquitted By Federal High Court Over N3.3bn Fraud
Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti State has been acquitted and discharged of 11 counts of money laundering and fraud involving ?3.3 billion.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos in a ruling delivered on Wednesday morning, upheld Fayose’s no-case submission, stating that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him.
“The prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to warrant the defendant being called upon to enter a defence,” the judge ruled.
Justice Aneke also held that the witnesses presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as well as the documentary evidence tendered, were not enough to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt.
The EFCC had accused Fayose of receiving ?1.8 billion in cash from former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, in contravention of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, which prohibits cash transactions exceeding legally permissible limits without going through a financial institution.
The commission further alleged that Fayose retained ?300 million in his Zenith Bank account and took control of about ?622 million, which he was said to have known were proceeds of crime.
He was also accused of directing two companies—De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd—to retain ?851 million in their Zenith and FCMB accounts, respectively, knowing the funds were derived from unlawful activities.
Additionally, the EFCC claimed Fayose used about ?1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja and another ?200 million to purchase a property in Abuja in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji—all allegedly linked to proceeds of crime.
The charges were brought under various provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
Fayose, however, consistently maintained his innocence and had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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