EFCC flies Fayose to Lagos for trial

• Names 22 witnesses, lists 11 charges against him

The immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose is already in Lagos for the beginning of his trial.

Fayose is expected to be arraigned at a federal high court in Lagos on Monday by the Economic and Financial Cime Commission (EFCC).

The anti-graft agency filed an 11-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering against Fayose, accusing him of benefitting from N4.65 billion slush funds allocated by the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) during the Goodluck Jonathan Administration.

The agency alleged that Fayose got N1.299 billion and $5.3 million from the money.

Fayose, however, has denied collecting $5.3 million from Musiliu Obanikoro, a former minister of state for defence.

He was said to have only admitted knowing Obanikoro and his associate, Abiodun Agbele, who allegedly bought six choice properties for him in Lagos and Abuja.

The commission said 22 listed witnesses would appear during Fayose’s trial including its own investigators, bank officials, and real estate practitioners.

Obanikoro, who allegedly ferried the N1.219 billion and $5 million in cash in two chartered jets to him, was also listed as one of the witnesses.

Other key witnesses are a former Director of Finance in the office of National Security Adviser, Salisu Shuaibu and Ayotunde Owope, who was Fayose’s account officer.

Some of the charges against Fayose read in part, That you Mr. Ayodele Fayose and Mr. Abiodun Agbele (now facing another charge) on or about 17th June, 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, took possession of the sum of N1, 219, 000, 000.00 (One Billion, Two Hundred and Nineteen Million Naira) to fund your 2014 gubernatorial campaign in Ekiti State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4) of the same Act.

That you Mr. Ayodele Fayose on or about 17th June, 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without going through the financial institution received cash payment in the sum of $5, 000, 000 (Five Million Dollars) from Senator Musiliu Obanikoro the then Minister of State for Defence, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act.

That you Mr. Ayodele Fayose on or about 7th April, 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did retain in your fixed deposit account No: 9013074033 with Zenith Bank Plc, the sum of N300, 000, 000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.

That you Mr. Ayodele Fayose and Spotless Limited between 17th June, 2014 and 4th August, 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, took control of an aggregate sum of N317, 000, 000.00 (Three Hundred and Seventeen Million Naira) by depositing same into the Zenith Bank Plc’s Account No: 1010170969 belonging to Spotless Limited, a company controlled by you and members of your family and which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.