Fg Files Amended Charges Against Justice Ademola And Wife

BEVERLY HILLS, December 06, (THEWILL) – The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has filed a fresh 11-count charge against Justice Adeniyi Ademola, a judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and his wife, Olabowale.

In the fresh charge, Justice Ademola, 63, allegedly accepted a BMW saloon 320i, valued at N8m through his son, Ademide Ademola, from a lawyer, Joe Odey Agi.

They were also accused of attempting to obtain N25m gratification from Sani Shaibu Teidi, a former director at the Pension Accounts Office, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, who was charged before the judge in 2013 with alleged involvement in a pension scam, with a view to showing him favour.

The AGF accused the wife of accepting N30m on behalf of her husband from a law firm known as Messrs Joe Agi and Associates.

In count one, they are accused of conspiring between March 11 and 24, 2015, to receive gratification from Messrs Joe Agi and Associates through their accounts 206/174191/2/0 and 201/110160/1/0 domiciled at GTBank Plc committing an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000.

Mrs. Ademola is accused in counts two, three and four of receiving N10m gratification thrice from Messrs Joe Agi and Associates through her GTBank account on behalf of her husband between March 11 and 24, 2015 contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000.

Justice Ademola is accused in counts five and six of dealing with property subject matter of an offence by transferring N85m and N90m on February 24, 2014, through his account 286/174191/2/0 in GTBank to Franco Dan Parker which forms the proceeds of an unlawful act contrary to Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000.

He is also accused in count seven of attempting, on February 21, 2014, to obtain gratification of N25m from Sani Shaibu Teidi as a motive for showing favour in the exercise of his official functions, contrary to Section 118(b) of the Penal Code Act.

He is in count eight accused of receiving gratification of a BMW saloon 320i, valued at N8m from Joe Odey Agi, through his son, Ademide Ademola, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act, 2000.

In count nine, 10 and 11, the judge is accused of illegally possessing firearms and ammunition (one Avar Magnum 608, Avar Magnum 6284) and 35 rounds of live ammunition (catridges) without valid licences an offence contrary to Section 3 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special provisions) Act 2004.

When the case was called, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Umar, told the court that the AGF has instructed that a private lawyer, Segun Jegede lead the prosecution of the case.

When he took over, Jegede, a former prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), told the court that the court's bailiff was unable to serve the defendants the charge.

He then sought the court's permission to serve copies of the charge on the defendants' lawyer, for onward transfer to them and equally applied to withdraw an earlier charge filed by the prosecution on November 14, 2016.

Defence lawyer Jeph Njikonye, did not object to the prosecution's withdrawal of the earlier charge but expressed his readiness to accept copies of the new charge for his clients.

Justice Okeke adjourned till Tuesday for arraignment having struck out the charge withdrawn by the prosecution and directed Njikonye to accept copies of the fresh charge for his clients.

Story by Oputah David