The judge returned the defendant after he pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-corruption commission alleged that the defendant fraudulently converted the sum of N72.5 million, owned by NUFBTE, for his personal use.
His alleged offense is inconsistent with Section 287 of the Lagos State Penal Laws, 2011.
The prosecutor, Ms. Anita Imo, told the court that the defendant committed the crimes between February 2015 and August 2020 in Lagos.
Following his plea of not guilty, the prosecution urged the court to send the defendant to a correctional facility and requested a trial date.
In his response, the defendant’s lawyer, Mr. Paul Okwoi, informed the court that he was unable to submit his client’s bail application due to an error in the application. He prayed to the court that two dates in December be granted for the defense to submit their bail request. .
Therefore, Judge Dada sent the defendant to any correctional facility of his choice pending the filing and hearing of his bail application.
He subsequently adjourned the case until January 24, 2023 for the start of the trial and the bail application hearing.
