New Telegraph

Court discharges Oyo LG official, lawyer over N167.8m fraud

A Lagos High Court has discharged an Oyo State Local government official, Mr. Badmus Adesina and a lawyer, Ibukunoluwa Konu of an alleged N167, 886, 591, 60 fraud.

 

The court presided over by Justice E.O Ashade in a ruling struck out the alleged N167, 886, 591, 60 fraud charges against Adesinaand Konuonanalleged letter from the Attorney-General that no prima facie case had been established against the accused persons.

 

The defendants were accused of forging documents and stealing N167, 886, 591, 60 from the Estate of late Godfrey Kwashie Konu. Upon resumption of the proceedings, the court informed the prosecutionandotherlawyersin thematterthatthecourthadearlier received a legal advice from theofficeof theAttorney-General of Lagos State (AG) stating that no prima facie case had been disclosed against the defendants.

 

Besides, the court said duplicate file had been forwarded back to the Commissioner of Police to discontinue the matter following thelegaladvicefromtheAttorney General’soffice.

 

However, the 1st defendant’s lawyer acknowledged receipt of the legal advice and urged the court to strike out the information and discharge the 1st defendant.

 

He was echoed by the 2nd defendant’s lawyer, who also confirmed receipt of the legal advice from the AG’s office urged the court to strike out the information and discharge the 2nd defendant.

 

This, the prosecution lawyer did not oppose as he indeed agreed with the submissions of the lawyer to the defendants.

 

Althoughthelawyer holding watching brief on behalf of Tosin Josephine Konu (nominal complainant), sought explanationonwhy hewasnottoserved with the legal advice, the court heldthatthenominalcomplainant was only entitled to be seen and not to be heard.

 

During the proceedings, lawyer to the 2nd defendant informed the court of the release of record of court’s proceedings to the press by the nominal complainant and informed the court that Tosin Josephine Konu and her husband were in contempt of the court as they were recording the day’s proceedings without the permission of the court.

 

Hon. Justice Ashade allegedly summoned Tosin Josephine Konu and her husband Sunday John Ilori to answer for contempt and she admitted to always recording court proceedings.

 

The prosecution counsel pleaded with the court to only admonish the nominal complainant.

 

Consequently, thecourtdelivered its ruling striking out the charges and discharging the defendants.

 

The court also admonished TosinJosephineKonuandSunday John Ilori to desist from recording court proceedings and ordered that the recordings be deleted from all their gadgets under the supervision of the court clerk.”

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