A Federal High Court in Lagos has granted permission to former governor of Ekiti State Ayodele Fayose to embark on medical trip.
Mr Fayose and his firm Spotless Investment Limited are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N2.2billion fraud.
Justice C.J. Aneke granted the permission on Friday following an application by Fayose’s lawyer Ola Olanipekun.
EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs did not oppose the request.
The judge adjourned further hearing in the case till January 22, 2021.
In the charges, the EFCC alleged inter alia that Fayose, on June 17, 2014, “took possession of the sum of N1, 219, 000,000 to fund your 2014 gubernatorial campaign in Ekiti State, which you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing.”
The ex-governor was also alleged to have on the same day “received a cash payment of $5,000,000 from Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the then Minister of State for Defence, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 1 and 16(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.”
In January, a video of Fayose dancing with a white woman on a cruise ship abroad surfaced on social media.
The ex-governor was on a medical trip at the time granted him by the same court in his trial for allegedly receiving and keeping N1.2 billion and $5 million stolen funds from the office of National Security Adviser (NSA).
