By Davidson Iriekpen
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday granted permission to a former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, to travel abroad for further medical treatment.
Fayose is standing trial on 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and conspiracy in to the tune of N2.2billion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke granted Fayose the permission following an application by his counsel, Mr. Ola Olanipekun (SAN).
The former governor had through his counsel, sought an order of the court granting him leave “to travel outside Nigeria for further medical examination, diagnosis, treatment and therapeutics, as exigency of his health demands, on dates which shall not coincide with or obstruct any date of the trial in this case.”
He also sought an order that his international passport, which was deposited with the Registrar of the court as part of the conditions for bail granted should be released to him and returned to the court upon return from the trip.
The application was not opposed by the EFCC.
In granting the application as contained in the Motion on Notice dated February 5, 2021, and moved yesterday by Mr. Sunday Olowolafe, the court insisted that Fayose must be in court on March 18 and 19, 2021, being the next adjourned dates.
After stunning Nigerians by surrendering himself to the EFCC on October 16, 2018, Fayose was first arraigned on October 22, 2018, on 11 counts before Justice Mojisola Olatotegun.
He was arraigned alongside his company, Spotless Investment Limited.
The former governor was re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Olatoregun, following EFCC’s petition.
He also pleaded not guilty before Aneke and was allowed to continue on the bail earlier granted, while the case was adjourned for trial.
