THE scheduled re-arraignment of former Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF), Steven Oronsaye, and some others was stalled yesterday following the absence of Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, before who a fresh charge was filed.
The prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said on November 3 that it filed a new charge of money laundering against Oronsaye and some others.
Its lawyer, Adebisi Adeniyi, said the new charge contained 35 counts with additional defendants, which were mainly corporate organisations.
The new defendants are Global Services Limited, Cluster Logistic Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited, Crew Investment & Construction Company Limited, together with Oronsaye, Afe and his company, who were earlier arraigned in a separate charge.
The court adjourned to November 25 for their arraignment on the fresh charge.
When parties got to court yesterday, they learnt from court officials that the judge was attending the All Nigeria Judges’ conference and could not attend court. A new date of December 2, was selected.
Oronsaye and two others – Osarenkhoe Afe and his company, Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited – were earlier arraigned on July 13, on a 24-count for allegedly laundering about N1.2 billion. They pleaded not guilty to the charge.
They were charged under Section 14 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, which offences are said to be punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. Nation
