. Court adjoins to July 14
A Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State, on Tuesday, adjourned to July 14 the alleged N700milion fraud case against the governorship candidate of the All progressives Congress in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Ize-Iyamu did not attend the court’s sitting due to ill health.
The APC standard bearer and four others are standing trial over an alleged N700million fraud charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. They were supposed to appear before the court on Tuesday.
But counsel for the first defendant, Charles Edosomwan (SAN), told the judge that his client, Ize-Iyamu, could not make it to the court because he was currently indisposed.
Ize-Iyamu’s lawyer then prayed the judge to allow him to present to the court the certificate of his client’s ill health as certified by his medical doctor.
After listening to the APC candidate’s lawyer, the presiding judge, Justice Umar Garba, adjourned the matter to July 14, 2020, for hearing.
In Suit No. FHC/BE21C/ 2016, the anti-graft agency had filed eight-count charges against the accused persons bordering on alleged illegal receipt of public funds to the tune of N700million for the 2015 general elections.
The court had in its last sitting on June 18 validated the corruption charges against the defendants, adjourning the case to July 7 for further hearing.
The other defendants are former state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dan Orbih; the incumbent Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi; a former deputy governor of Edo State, Lucky Imasuen, and Efe Erimuoghae-Anthony.