LAGOS JUNE 5TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ) has re-arraigned Mr. Fred Ajudua before a Special Offences Court sitting in the Ikeja area for allegedly defrauding one Ziad Abu Zalaf and his German-based Company, Technical International Ltd, of the sum of $1m.
Ajudua was re-arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada on 12 counts bordering on conspiracy and fraud. He pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
His arraignment had suffered a series of set back in 2017 before Justice Josephine Oyefeso of the Lagos High court and the Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke reassigned it to Special Court for accelerated hearing.
When the matter came up on Friday, the EFCC counsel, Mr. Seidu Atteh urged the court to allow the charge be read to the defendant for his plea to be taken.
But Ajudua’s Counsel, Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN) in his response asked the court to instead hear all pending applications before taking the plea and the judge obliged him.
In his application, Quakers urged the court to dismiss the entire suit against his client on the grounds that the charge is defective and the court has no jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
The EFCC’s counsel Atteh, opposed this move. He informed the court that the defendant had filed a similar application before the previous judge, Justice Oyefeso which the judge dismissed for lack of merit adding that it’s an abuse of court process.
In her ruling on the application, justice Dada dismissed the application.
After taking the plea of the defendant, the judge ordered that he be remanded in Ikoyi Prison pending hearing and ruling of his bail application.
Further proceedings have been adjourned till June 5, 2018.