By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Consequent upon the dismissal of their no case submission by the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, former Oyo State governor Rashidi Ladoja and his aide Waheed Akanbi opened their defence on Thursday with a testimony by a former Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Titilola Ademola Dauda as first defence witness.
Testifying before the court on Thursday in the ongoing trial of Ladoja in a N4.7 billion fraud charge levied against him and his aide, Akanbi by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the witness told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos that former Governor Rashidi Ladoja did not buy any vehicle for him and 13 other lawmakers loyal to Ladoja in 2005 to escape impeachment.
According to the witness (Ademola Dauda), the vehicles delivered to the lawmakers were a product of a contractual relationship they had with one firm, VT Leasing.
“I had a contractual relationship with VT Leasing, an incorporated company over a car supplied to me. The agreement was that I should pay a particular percentage upfront and thereafter on rentals.
“I entered into agreement with VT Leasing. I paid both my contribution and rentals. I am not owing VT Leasing. No member of the House was given any vehicle. Each of the fourteen members benefitted from the VT Leasing arrangement”.
While testifying before the court, the witness (Dauda) debunked the claims by a prosecution witness, Chief Adewale Atanda, who had earlier in his evidence said the vehicles were purchased for them by Ladoja to save him from impeachment. Atanda, who was a Senior Special Adviser to Ladoja, had in his testimony said he had to use his assets and personal guarantee to secure an N80 million loan from Wema Bank Plc which was used to purchase the vehicles.
But in his testimony, the first defence witness said the agreement that led to the delivery of the vehicles to him and 13 others were never guaranteed by Chief Atanda, adding that he personally paid all his expenses during his four months stay at Heritage Court and Inns, an hotel owned by Atanda, after he relocated to Lagos alongside his colleagues for fear of losing their lives upon Ladoja’s impeachment in December 2005.
Responding to a question under cross-examination by EFCC’s lawyer, Olabisi Oluwafemi, the witness denied receiving any money from Atanda throughout his stay in the hotel.
Another witness, a stockbroker, Tajudeen Ajani Bayonle, also testified in the course of Thursday’s proceedings.
The stockbroker who told the court he was not familiar with the facts of the case, said he was invited by one of the defence lawyers because of his technical knowledge of stockbroking business.
At this juncture, the judge adjourned for further hearing in the trial.
Ladoja and Akanbi were for the second time in about two years re-arraigned on November 5, 2018, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the court over alleged N4.7 billion fraud.
The duo who were docked on an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and unlawful conversion of public funds however denied committing the offence.
