The absence of Justice Mohammed Liman on Thursday stalled the trial of a Lagos-based surgeon, Dr Anu Adepoju, charged with evasion from investigation into an alleged failed plastic surgery at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Adepoju, alongside her firm, MedContour Services Ltd., were arraigned on July 3 by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on five counts bordering on refusal to honour an invitation for investigation and failure to produce investigation document.
The FCCPC had in April sealed the medical outfit, a plastic surgery hospital, over suspicion of illegal activities.
Following the defendants’ arraignment on July 3, the court fixed July 8 for prosecution to open its case.
Prosecutor Babatunde Irukera, who is also the Director-General of FCCPC, told the court that he had only two witnesses.
But the case could not be continued on Thursday as the court failed to sit.
However, a new date for trial will be communicated to parties.
In the five-count charge, prosecution alleged that without sufficient cause, the first defendant, Adepoju, failed to appear before the FCCPC in compliance with the commission’s summons dated April 15.
The prosecution also alleged that without sufficient cause, the first defendant failed to produce documents which she was required to produce in compliance with the commission’s notice of investigation dated April 14.
It added that the first defendant obstructed the commission from carrying out its investigation into the said issue.
The alleged offences, it said, contravene the provisions of sections 11(1)(a), 33(1)(a), 110, 113(1)(a) and 159(4) of the FCCPC Act, 2018.
Adepoju pleaded not guilty to all charges.
