You Must Face Trial For Corruption, Appeal Court Tells Alao-Akala

The EFCC had arraigned the appellants before the Court on an 11-count charge bordering on conspiracy, contract awards without budgetary provisions, and obtaining by false pretence.
The Court of Appeal in Ibadan on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by Adebayo Alao-Akala, a former governor of Oyo State, to quash the N11.5 billion suit filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Mr. Alao-Akala, Hosea Agboola, and a business man, Olufemi Babalola, had appealed a December 12, 2012 ruling by Justice Akintunde Boade of the Oyo State High Court which held that they had a case to answer.
The EFCC had arraigned the appellants before the Court on an 11-count charge bordering on conspiracy, contract awards without budgetary provisions, and obtaining by false pretence. The suspects were accused of committing the crime while Mr. Alao-Akala was Oyo governor.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Delivering judgment, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem held that the preliminary objection by Mr. Alao-Akala was premature.
Ms. Dongban-Mensem held that Mr. Alao-Akala should have waited for the trial to go mid-way at the High Court before appealing.
She held that Mr. Alao-Akala did not provide enough evidence to warrant the court to quash the ruling of the lower court.
The judge then ordered Mr. Alao-Akala to return to the High Court for his trial.

April 15, 2014