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prosecuting counsel Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) of being “incompetent” and “extremely rude”.
The judge accused Jacobs of engaging in jankara practice, but the Senior Advocate said he took “exception” to being described in such terms.
He said it was the first time he would be so described by any judge in all his years of legal practice.
The exchange occurred in the trial of former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused Fayose of receiving and keeping N1.2billion and $5million allegedly stolen from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) contrary to the Money Laundering Act. Fayose pleaded not guilty.
The exchange occurred after the cross-examination of the 10th prosecution witness, Maroun Mechleb, who is the Chief Executive Officer of an Akure, Ondo State-based construction firm, Samchase Nigeria Limited.
The witness testified that he handled several contracts for Ekiti State, which he said were facilitated by Fayose’s aide, Abiodun Agbele.
He said there was a gentleman’s agreement that he would appreciate Agbele for every contract he facilitated.
He said he gave Agbele N132.5million on one occasion as “appreciation” for an unspecified contract he facilitated.
In one of the counts of the charge, EFCC alleged that Fayose acquired chalets 3 and 4, 6 and 9 on Plot 100 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos in the name of JJ Technical Services Ltd with N1,151,711,573.
Mechleb told the court that he and his brothers, who testified earlier, also ran J.J Technical Services, but that the firm was unable to get a job from the state.
The witness said he once lied to the EFCC about owning a property based on Agbele’s instructions in a bid to help “a friend”.
“Mr Agbele bought a property and put it in the company’s name. He gave me the documents of the property to sign. I cannot read English properly, but I just signed the documents,” Mechleb said.
Jacobs asked him: “Did you know what the documents were about?”
The witness said: “It was later that I got to know that the documents were about a property and I had to contact Mr Agbele.”
On how he came to pay Agbele N132.5million, Mechleb said: “I had an agreement with Agbele that I would appreciate him. He gave me an account to send the money, which I have done.
“He told me that I have one house, because I paid N132.5million to him. The truth is that the house does not belong to me but to Mr Agbele.
“After I made the first statement at EFCC, my lawyer asked me to go back and say the truth.”
Asked what he knew about Agbele, the witness said: “I know he was the one helping to facilitate the jobs. We agreed that when he gets the job for me, I will appreciate him.
“We did not specify the amount, but it’s around 10 per cent.”
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Mr Ola Olanipekun (SAN) (for Fayose) and Olalekan Ojo (SAN) (for Fayose’s co-accused Spotless Ltd), Mechleb said: “In making the first statement, I did not say the truth. I was trying to help my friend. I can lie to help a friend.
“I later obeyed my conscience and went back to EFCC to say the truth.”
Read Full Story Here: [The Nation]
