An Ikeja High Court on Monday issued an order of arrest against an oil marketer, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, who is being prosecuted for a N979.6 million fuel subsidy fraud.
Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo issued the bench warrant after Ogunbambo failed to appear before the court for the continuation of his trial.
The judge ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and produce Ogunbambo in court on the next adjournment date fixed for April 10. In the proceedings, the EFCC counsel, Mr Emmanuel Jackson, faulted the medical report tendered before the court by Ogunbambo’s counsel, Mr Mobolaji Akintunde.
The report dated Feb.4, was signed by one Brig.-Gen. J.A.Aremu (rtd.) of the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.
The report claimed that Ogunbambo was being treated for a spinal cord injury which he sustained after falling into a bathtub.
However, Jackson told the court that the EFCC agents had visited the said hospital and were informed that Ogunbambo was an out-patient.
“Our submission on the medical report is that it is not well stated that the first defendant (Ogunbambo) is so sick that he will not be able to stand trial.
“The defendant is an out-patient. He came physically to the hospital to obtain the report.
“Our contention is that if he can go to the hospital in Yaba to collect the report, he is also fit to come to Ikeja for his trial,” Jackson said.
He asked the judge to compel Ogunbambo to come to court or in the alternative, to make himself available for the EFCC medical team for physical examination.
Responding, Akintunde insisted that his client was ill as shown by the medical report issued by the hospital.
He, therefore, asked the court to make an order directing the hospital to declare whether or not Ogunbambo was fit to stand trial.
In a short ruling, the judge dismissed Akintunde’s suggestions and issued a bench warrant against the defendant.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Ogunbambo and Habila Theck, another oil marketer, were charged to court for the alleged fraud.
The bench warrant was the second issued against Ogunbambo for not appearing iun court, since his arraignment on July 31, 2012.
Onigbanjo had also on June 25, 2013, issued a bench warrant against the accused for failing to attend his trial, but later vacated it.(NAN)
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