The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) on Monday submitted a 20-paragraph affidavit and 10 exhibits to the Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti to justify the recent freezing of the personal accounts of Governor Ayo Fayose.
DAILY POST reports that the leader of the 3-man legal team that came to hold brief for the anti-graft agency, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo told the court that 10 of the affidavit was filed in response to the summon by the court that EFCC should appear before it to give reasons why it should not grant Fayose’s prayers for the defreezing of his accounts domicile with Zenith Bank.
He said another separate 10- paragraph counter affidavit,and one exhibit was also filed in response to the original affidavit filed before the court by the governor while seeking injunction of the court to stop the agency from further holding on to his accounts.
According to him, EFCC decided to make representation to the court and file the said responses to prove that it is a law- abiding organization that has respect for the judiciary.
The second defendant, Zenith bank was also represented at the hearing by a 4-man defence team headed by Mr Oluwaseun Omotosho
Our correspondent reports that the said EFCC defence papers could however not be debated as lead counsel to Fayose, Chief Mike Ozekhome, who led 15 other lawyers complained to the court that the documents of justification brought by EFCC were submitted to him barely 3 minutes to commencement of the day’s sitting.
Describing the action of EFCC as an “ambush”, he pleaded with the court for adjournment to enable his team study the affidavits as well as contest the exhibits.
He also submitted that a quick flipping through of the EFCC documents indicated that the direct opposite of what Fayose pleaded in his original affidavit was what EFCC tendered.
“My Lord, I have quickly ran through the EFCC documents and found out that all issues raised in its defence are issues that were not raised by my client
“It is therefore proper that we be given time to read and counter every single that the EFCC has alleged,” he said.
In his ruling,the presiding judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo said he agreed with the submission and granted the plea of Fayose’s lead counsel.
He consequently adjourned definite hearing of the case till 30th September,saying the court also took cognizance of the impending vacation of the Federal High Courts which commences in few days time.
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