Court acquits man, 52, of defrauding Ekiti Govt. of N72m

A Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday discharged and acquitted a 52-year-old man, Tunde Adebayo, charged with defrauding Ekiti State Government of N72 million.

He was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and fraud.

The prosecution had alleged that the accused obtained N72 million to supply laptops for 450 senior police officers
serving in the state.

Justice Donatus Okorowo, in his judgment, noted that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubts.

“The prosecution counsel failed to produce any record to support the allegations of conspiracy and fraud against the defendant.

“He is hereby discharged and acquitted .”

The prosecution counsel, Mr Femi Falade, had told the court that the defendant committed the offences on March 18, 2009.

He said the defendant conspired with others now at large to defraud the state government of N72 million obtained from the State Multi-purpose Credit Agency Office, Ado-Ekiti, for the purchase of laptops for 450 senior police officers.

Adebayo supplied only 270 laptops out of the approved 450 and failed to supply the remaining ones to the command, he alleged.

He said that Adebayo also failed to return the balance of the sum paid for the purchase of the laptops.

The offences, according to him, contravened Section 8(a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution called three witnesses, while counsel to the defendant, Mr Lawrence Aso, called five witnesses.