By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The trial of Mr Malik Wakili charged over impersonation and N3.1 million fraud could not be heard on Thursday due to the absence of the trial judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke who went Abuja for the valedictory session of Justice Ibrahim Watila who died last Monday.
Consequently the trial has been adjourned till February 25, 2021.
Wakili was docked in December 2019 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for allegedly impersonating the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), and defrauded him sum of N3,106, 216.
Wakili, who was arraigned on a three-count charge was alleged to have committed the offence in March 2019.
The prosecution counsel Usman Buhari said that Wakili conspired with one Abdullahi Umar, said to be at large, “to fraudulently impersonate Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), with intent to gain monetary advantage for themselves.”
Thehe charge filed by Anti-graft agency against Wakili states, “the defendant converted the total sum of N3,106,216, being the value of the Air-Miles Skywards Account Number EK248739282 of Mr. Babatunde Fashola with the Emirate Airline and which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity, to wit: fraud.”
According to EFCC, Wakili acted contrary to Sections 15(2)(a) and 27(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and was liable to be punished under Sections 15(3) and 22(3)(a) of the same Act.
The defendant had however pleaded not guilty to the charge and was admitted to bail.
