A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the case of a N2billion fraud brought against former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, till November 14.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole adjourned the case for “further hearing of evidence of the first prosecution witness” after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Oronsaye before the judge on Tuesday.
Oronsaye was alleged to be complicit in several contract awards during his tenure as HoS and is standing trial alongside one Osarenkhoe Afe, the Managing Director of Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited.
According to the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, Tuesday’s proceeding could not continue as the witness, Roukayya Ibrahim, who is an EFCC operative and a member of the anti-graft agency’s Pension Fraud team, was away to Botswana for a short course.
The prosecution, led by O.A. Atolagbe, had sent a letter to the court informing of the absence of Ibrahim, requested for a new date while copies of the said letter were sent to counsel for the defence.
“My lord, the witness will also not be available by November 7 as the course she went for in Botswana has been extended for two weeks,” he said, urging the court for a later date.
However, Oronsaye’s lawyer, Ade Okeaya-Inneh, as well as the counsel for Afe and Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, Oluwole Aladedoye, did not raise any objections.
Earlier in the course of proceeding, Aladedoye had brought the attention of the court to two reports dated October 29, 2017, titled, “Maina: 2 HoS named in N17b pension scam”, and “How Maina, Oronsaye looted N14bn pension fund –Investigations”.
He said, “My lord, the reports amount to media trial of the defendants. We seek your lordship’s protection by way of an order restraining the EFCC from interfering in this case by way of media of calumny.”
But Atolagbe told the court that he was seeing the publications for the first time, stressing that since the trial began in July 2015, “there has never been an issue with reporting of proceedings in court”.
Justice Kolawole, who noted that he was also seeing the reports for the first time, however, said: “I won’t make any order until I have read through the reports myself, and will give my decision at the next adjourned date.”
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