The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has re-arraigned a former Lagos State socialite, Fred Ajudua, on Thursday for an alleged $8.4m fraud.
Ajudua had allegedly defrauded a former Chief of Army, Staff Lt. Col. Ishaya Bamaiyi, of the said amount, in 2004 at Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos.
The EFCC had rearraigned him based on an amended 28 counts charge through Ajudua’s lawyer, Seidu Atteh, following the transfer of his case from Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja to Justice Kudirat Jose of the same court.
Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of the same court had last year, sentenced a court registrar, Mrs. Oluronke Rosulu, who was accused of assisting Ajudua in committing the fraud to 10 years imprisonment.
Following his arraignment, Ajudu’s new lawyer, Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN) urged the court to allow his client continue with the bail granted him by the Court of Appeal, but the EFCC’s counsel, Atteh, opposed the application, arguing that since the matter was starting de novo, Ajudua was required to file a fresh application for bail.
In response, Quakers maintained that since the charge was the same, the bail earlier granted his client by the Court of Appeal should be allowed to subsist.
Justice Jose however, directed Ajudua to file a fresh application for bail, and adjourned further proceedings in the matter till September 15, 20, 21 and 22, 2016.
Ajudua pleaded not guilty.
