Failed plastic surgery: Parties to adopt written addresses Oct 24
By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday, further adjourned until October 24, for adoption of written addresses, in the trial of a surgeon Dr. Anuoluwapo Adepoju, charged with alleged evasion from investigation into a failed plastic surgery,
The matter scheduled for adoption of addresses on Monday, did not go on and consequently adjourned until October 24, after the long vacation of courts.
The defendant, a medical doctor is charged by the Federal Competition and Consumers Protection Commission (FCCPC). She is standing trial alongside her Clinic, MedContour Services Ltd, on a five-counts charge bordering on a refusal to honour an invitation for investigation into a post-body surgery complication, as well as production of investigation documents.
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She was re-arraigned on July 17, 2020 alongside her Medical outfit, before Justice Mohammed Liman.
She had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail on self-recognizance.
Trial has since commenced in the suit and the FCCPC had also since closed its case.
On her part, the defendant filed a no case submission on grounds that no case had been established against her by prosecution, to warrant her entering a defence.
But in a ruling delivered on April 7, 2022, Justice Liman dismissed the no case submission by the defendant.
Justice Liman had ruled that the evidences so far tendered before the court, satisfies the elements of the criminal charges pending against the defendant.
The court had then adjourned the case for the defence to open its case. However, the case suffered several adjournments for various reasons.
On May 5, 2023, the defence opened its case and called the first defendant as sole witness. She was led in evidence by her counsel and also cross examined after which the court adjourned the case until June 21, for adoption of written addresses.
On June 21, the court did not sit and the case was then adjourned until Monday July 17. Again, the matter could not go on as scheduled. Hearing was again adjourned to October 24.
In the five-counts charge brought against the defendants, the prosecution alleged that, the first defendant failed to appear before the FCCPC in relation to investigation into a reported failed plastic surgery.
The defendant was alleged to have failed to show up, in compliance with the Commission’s summons dated April 15, 2020.
The prosecution also alleged that without sufficient cause, the first defendant also refused and failed to produce documents which she was required to produce in compliance with the Commission’s notice of investigation dated April 14.2020.
She was alleged to have prevented and obstructed the Commission from carrying out its investigation into the said issue.
The offences contravene the provision of Sections 11(1)(a), 33(1)(a), 110, 113(1)(a) and 159(4) of the FCCPC Act, 2018.