Embattled former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank Plc), Dr Erastus Akingbola, has opted to start afresh his corruption case in court. Akingbola made this decision on Tuesday when he was given the option to either continue his case from where the former presiding judge, Justice Habeed Abiru, stopped before he was elevated to the Court of Appeal, or to start afresh.
The new presiding judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja had quoted Sections 39 and 46 of the Evidence Act as a provision for the records before Justice Abiru to be adopted. But Akingbola’s counsel, Mike Igbokwe (SAN), when asked by the court of his feeling on whether to continue, stated that as a new team, they preferred a fresh trial, though the prosecution preferred to continue from where they stopped.
Akingbola’s counsel said: “My lord will notice that this is a new team from the previous one and this court also needs to witness some things firsthand like the demeanour of witnesses. The team is totally different. And we want to start de novo,”
Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had before this re-arraigned Dr Akingbola alongside his aide, Bayo Dada, over alleged theft of N47.1 billion belonging to the bank when Akingbola held sway. The commission had earlier arraigned the duo on a 22-count charge rather than the initial 29-count charge bordering on theft filed before the former trial judge, Justice Abiru.
Once again, they pleaded not guilty to the charge as they earlier did before Justice Abiru, who ordered that they be remanded in custody at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison pending hearing of the bail application fixed for Monday, June 6, 2011. Their counsels consequently withdrew their bail applications and written addresses dated February 26, 2013 and applied that the court allow them to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted them by Justice Abiru on June 13, 2012.
SOURCE:INFORMATION NGR
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