A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday fixed June 24, for re-arraignment of Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji of the Lagos State House of Assembly over alleged laundering of N7.7 million.
Ikuforiji is standing trial along with his Personal Assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi.
The duo will be re-arraigned following the retirement of Justice Okechukwu Okeke, who was handling the case.
Their re-arraignment was stalled on Monday due to the absence of the accused.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned them before Okeke on March 1, 2012, on a 20-count charge, bordering on misappropriation and money laundering.
The accused will now appear before Justice Ibrahim Buba.
Defence Counsel, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, informed the court on Monday that his client was not in court for the re-arraignment because he was not served the charge sheet.
Oyetibo disclosed that the speaker was out of Nigeria, adding that he did not know that he would be re-arraigned because the charge sheet was not given to him.
The court, therefore, adjourned the case and ordered the Prosecutor, Godwin Obla, to properly serve the court processes on the accused.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Okeke had adjourned the trial indefinitely midway, following Obla’s withdrawal from the case.
The EFCC accused the speaker and his aide of conspiring to accept N273.3 million from the House of Assembly without going through a financial institution.
Ikuforiji was also accused of using his position to misappropriate about N500 million belonging to the assembly.
The EFCC said that the accused committed the offences between April 2010 and July 2011, in contravention of Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
Both of the accused had, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Okeke had granted Ikuforiji bail on self recognition and admitted his aide to bail with the Clerk of the House as the surety.
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