Absence of counsel stalls subsidy fraud trial

Absence of the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday stalled the continuation of trial of an oil marketer, Abdullahi Alao, and four others.
Abdullahi, son of businessman Alhaji Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, is being prosecuted before an Ikeja High Court over an alleged N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud.
He was charged alongside two other oil marketers, Olarenwaju Olalusi and Opeyemi Ajuyah and their companies, Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, all the accused persons and their counsel were in court when the matter was called for hearing.
However, no EFCC counsel was in court to prosecute the case.
The development stalled the hearing of two pending applications filed by Alao’s counsel, Aderemi Oguntoye.
One of the applications wants the court to set aside its October 21 ruling, which dismissed Alao’s previous application to quash the charges.
The other application is asking the court to stay further proceedings of the trial, pending the determination of Alao’s appeal against the ruling at the Court of Appeal, Lagos.
The trial judge, Justice Lateefat Okunnu, consequently, adjourned the matter till December 13 for hearing of the pending applications.