The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court and Chief Godwin Obla (SAN) for alleged bribery and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The judge and the SAN were arraigned on 30 counts before Justice Hakeem Oshodi of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.
The charges were read to them after Justice Oshodi ordered them to move from the court gallery into the dock.
Obla, who was dressed in a clean blue suit on a white shirt and a blue tie and Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia who wore a black suit and skirt, were first asked by the court’s registrar if they understood English language, to which they answered in the affirmative, before the charges were read to them.“Unfortunately, you have to be in the dock,” Justice Oshodi said.
The EFCC, in the charges, alleged that Obla, while appearing in a suit numbered FHC/L/C/482c/2010 before Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, offered a gratification of N5m to the judge to allegedly induce the judge to refrain from acting in the exercise of her official duties as a public officer.
Obla, the EFCC claimed, paid the money from the account of his company, Obla & Company Limited, with United Bank for Africa, to Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia through the bank account of Nigel & Colive Ltd in Diamond Bank Plc.
The EFCC claimed that the judge and the SAN acted contrary to sections 64 (1) and 97 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, No. 11, 2011.
But they both pleaded not guilty to the offence.
In 24 out of the 30 counts, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was accused of unlawfully enriching herself as a public officer contrary to the provision of Section 82(a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State No. 11, 2011.
The judge was accused of receiving a total of $793,800 in several tranches from different sources between 2012 and 2015 “so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income.”
The EFCC told Justice Oshodi that Justice Ofili-Ajumobia violated Section 82(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, No. 11, 2011.
The judge was further accused of forging a deed of assignment between County City Bricks Development Co. Ltd and Nigel & Colive Ltd dated July 5, 2010, which the EFCC claimed was purportedly prepared and signed by Charles Musa & Co.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.
In count 30, the EFCC accused Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia of giving false information to one of its operatives, Lawal Abdullahi, on October 19, 2016 by allegedly claiming on the telephone to be on admission at Gold Cross Hospital, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, while she was not there.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 39(2)(a) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, however, pleaded not guilty
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