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| Lucky Igbinedion |
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| Michael Igbinedion |
By SIMON EBEGBULEM
BENIN CITY—THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, will on September 23, close its case in the trial of Mr. Michael
Igbinedion before a Federal High Court sitting in Benin-City.
Mr. Michael Igbinedion is younger brother to former
governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, who is standing trial alongside
others.
Igbinedion, Patrick Eboigbodin and four companies: Gava Corporation Limited; Romrig Nigeria
Limited; PML Securities Company Limited and PML Nigeria Limited are facing
trial over an alleged N25 billion scam. At the resumed hearing in the matter,
EFCC called three witnesses.
The first witness, Mr. Ajoyo Sowale, an Accounts Officer
with Guaranty Trust Bank, identified various account statements and account
opening documents of the accused persons and also confirmed the lodgments made
into the various accounts. He told the court that he printed the various
account statements and got them certified.
Also led in evidence was the second witness, Mr. Eriyo
David, who was the Personal Assistant to Micheal Igbinedion. David narrated to
the court how Michael Igbinedion instructed him on several occasions to make
lodgments into his GTB accounts and those of Romrig Nigeria Limited and Gava
Corporation. According to David, he often received cash from the Accountant at
Government House and paid same into the account of the second accused person.
During cross-examination, counsel to the first accused,
asked the witness if he ever stole government money with the first accused
person, Mr. Patrick Eboigbodin, to which the witness responded in the negative.
EFCC counsel,
before calling the third witness, prayed the court to grant his plea for
the charges to be amended, arguing that the testimony of the third witness
centred more on the amendments. EFCC also prayed the court for an adjournment
to enable the defence study the amended charge. But defence counsel objected on
the grounds that the amendments could not be accommodated as the prosecution
was expected to close its case.
The court in a short ruling turned down the application
and asked the prosecution to go ahead and call its last witness.
The court subsequently adjourned the case till September
23 and 24, 2013.
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