Seun Egbegbe: Judge fines prosecutor N50,000

Oladimeji Ramon

The trial of a Nollywood film-maker, Olajide Kareem, alias Seun Egbegbe, was stalled on Monday as the trial judge insisted that the case could not go on except the prosecutor, Mr Innocent Anyigor, pays a  fine of N50,000 imposed on him during the  previous proceedings.

Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, sitting at the Federal High Court in Lagos, rejected the plea by the police prosecutor that the N50,000 be waived.

The judge rebuked the prosecutor for the snail’s pace at which the case had proceeded since Egbegbe and his co-defendants were arraigned in February last year.

The judge  during the previous hearing awarded N50,000 cost against Anyigor after the defence counsel raised objection to the competence of a police officer, Godwin Omaka, to testify in the case.

Shortly after Omaka entered into the witness box at the last hearing, the defence counsel complained that they could not find his name on the list of the witnesses which the prosecutor served on them as part of the proof of evidence.

Responding, the prosecutor, Anyigor, apologised, saying it was an oversight.

But Justice Oguntoyinbo rejected the apology and awarded N50,000 cost against Anyigor, stressing that the fine must be paid before the next adjourned date.

When the matter was called on Monday   and Anyigor was asked by the judge why he had yet to pay the fine and urged the judge to waive it.

But the judge refused.

In view of the judge’s refusal to waive the fine, the prosecutor pleaded to be given two weeks to raise the money.

But Justice Oguntoyinbo said she could not grant any adjournment longer than seven days, noting that the case had already dragged.

“I am getting fed up with this case. There has to be an end to litigation; this matter must end.

“We are talking about human lives. Only one of them (defendants) has been able to secure bail, the others are in prison.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. These are young people, let them know their fate,” the judge told the prosecutor.

She subsequently adjourned the case till November 7, 2018, directing the prosecutor to ensure that the fine was paid.

The police charged Egbegbe and four others with alleged serial frauds involving N39,098,100, $90,000 and £12,550.

They were accused of fraudulently obtaining the money from no fewer than 40 Bureau De Change operators in Lagos over a period of two years – 2015 to 2017.

Egbegbe and his co-defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the 40 counts pressed against them.

Seun Egbegbe spends 20th month in prison, appears in court today

Oladimeji Ramon

For failure to meet the N5m bail granted him by the Federal High Court in Lagos, Nollywood film-maker, Olajide Kazeem, better known as Seun Egbegbe, has so far spent about 20 months in prison custody.

The erstwhile Lagos socialist has been kept away since February 10, 2017, after he was arraigned by the police for alleged serial frauds involving N39, 098,100, $90,000 and £12,550.

The police alleged that Egbegbe fraudulently obtained the money from no fewer than 40 Bureau De Change operators in Lagos over a period of two years – 2015 to 2017.

He was said to have allegedly swindled the BDC operators by falsely representing to them that he had naira to change into foreign currencies and vice versa.

Egbegbe, alongside one  Oyekan Ayomide, was first arraigned on February 10, 2017 before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, on 36 counts bordering on advance fee fraud.

The charge sheet was subsequently amended twice, with the counts eventually increased to 40 and three other defendants – Lawal Kareem, Olalekan Yusuf and Muyideen Shoyombo – added.

The prosecuting counsel for the police, Innocent Anyigor, said Egbegbe and the other defendants acted contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and were liable to be punished under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

They, however, pleaded not guilty.

On February 24, 2017, Justice Oguntoyinbo granted each of them N5m bail with two sureties in like sum.

The judge said one of the sureties must be a civil servant on at least Level 16 and must own a landed property in Lagos State.

The surety, the court said, must deposit the Certificate of Occupancy of the landed property in the custody of the court.

Both sureties were to swear to affidavit of means while their addresses were to be verified by the court registrar.

Justice Oguntoyinbo ordered that the defendants should be remanded in the prison custody until they meet the bail conditions.

About 20 months after the bail was granted, Egbegbe, who was known for lavish spending, has, however, remained in the Ikoyi Prison custody, as he has not been able to meet the bail conditions.

The police prosecutor, Anyigor, had told the court that he had no fewer than 40 witnesses, including the BDC operators, who would testify against Egbegbe and his co-defendants in court.

On March 10, 2017, over 30 BDC operators stormed the court for the trial.

So far, the prosecution has called four witnesses.

The trial had been slowed down sometimes due to inability of investigating police officers, who were listed as witnesses, to attend the court.

At other times, the case was stalled because the Hausa BDC operators, who were listed as witnesses, complained of inability to either speak or understand English language and an interpreter had to be arranged.

The case was last heard on November 1, 2018 and it is billed to resume on Monday (today) for continuation of trial.

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