Court commences hearing on Fayose’s case

Akeem Nafiu, Lagos - 19.02.2009

The trial of the former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, over alleged money laundering charges commenced on Wednesday at a federal high court in Lagos with a prosecution witness, Mr. Abiodun Razak Fari-Arole, indicting some officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The witness, who claimed to be an architect, said some officials of the anti-graft agency asked him to implicate the former governor.

Mr. Fari-Arole also denied that he had been laundering money through him and he had used the proceeds from the contracts to execute his private projects.

The witness said he got to know the former governor through one of his aides, Mr. Gbenga James, who happened to be the Managing Director of Biological Concept and Avian Specialist.

He said he had deals with Mr. Fayose, both in official and private capacities.

According to him, the design of a house in Ibadan, the building of a block of two flats, also in Ibadan and the construction of a three-bedroom, two-bedroom bungalow and a small sitting room at Afao-Ekiti in Ekiti State, were personal projects he supervised for the former governor.

During the proceedings, Fayose, through his counsel, Mallam Yussuf Alli, informed the court that he wanted to travel abroad to undergo surgeries.

The judge, Tijani Abubakar, however, was of the view that Mr. Fayose must make his request known to the court through a written application.

The matter continues today.