The on-going trial of Oluwole Fayiga, a staff of the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja has been stalled owing to the absence of both the accused and his counsel in court for trial within trial before Justice Salisu Garba of the FCT High Court No.2, Maitama Abuja.
The accused person, Fayiga, had been arraigned on a 13-count charge in August 2016 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for conspiracy to commit offences contrary to the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. His co-accused person, Adebajo Olalekan, could not be arraigned because he was at large. Fayiga had pleaded not guilty on all the counts and was granted bail by the court.
Part of the charge on which he was arraigned reads: ‘’That you Oluwole Fayiga and Adebajo Olalekan (at large) sometime in December 2014 at Abuja Judicial Division did conspire with yourselves to wit: to knowingly give to a staff of Union Bank documents required for the opening of an account by the bank to open an account in the name of Bashorun Toluwashe Adebola knowing the documents to be false and intended to mislead the bank thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) (c) and punishable under Section 17(1) (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000’’.
Fayiga, was also charged for allegedly forging documents of the Federal Government of Nigeria which include; Employee pay slips; Official Gazette of New Appointments; Official Gazette Confirmation of Appointments; Federal Ministry of Health’s Department of Human Resources Letter of Introduction/Confirmation of Employment; National Identity Management System; National Identification Number Slip; Federal Ministry of Health Identity Card in respect of Ajayi Olubukola Anthonia to obtain the sum of N445,000 as loan from Credit Direct Limited, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code.
At the renewed hearing of the matter, ICPC’s Prosecution Counsel, Iliya Ashom, told the court that at a subsequent hearing after the arraignment, the accused person’s bail was revoked and that since then he had been evading arrest.
The matter has been adjourned to 14th March, 2017 for continuation of hearing.