September 05, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, with conspiracy, forgery and stealing.
The 11-count charge, filed at the Federal High Court Abeokuta, Ogun State by Rotimi Oyedepo of the Legal Monitoring Unit of the Commission, followed his arrest on Thursday in Lagos.
THEWILL reported that operatives of the anti-graft agency had arrested Oluomo, who represents Ifo 1 State Constituency in the Ogun State House of Assembly, on Thursday at the Muritala Muhammad Airport, Lagos.
The Commission had earlier released the Speaker on bail, and he was expected to return to the Lagos office of the anti-graft agency alongside other officials of the Ogun Assembly, including the clerk and accountant for questioning.
But at the court on Monday, the EFCC is said to have presented not less than 10 witnesses to testify and tender documents and exhibits against the accused.
Some of the witnesses are said to include Adamu Yusuf, Otitoju Kolawale, Yazid Bawa, Anyanwu Bright, Adekunbi Mojibola, Munkaila Huzaifa, and Idowu Olarenwaju.
Others are representatives of Ashkash Nigeria limited, representatives of Obasanjo Holdings limited (managers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Mega Station) and representatives of Gateway Bank limited.
The charges read:
Count one: “That you Olakunle Oluomo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Amoke (now at large) sometimes in 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to used the total sum of N2,475billion which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (a), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
Count two: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Amoke (now at large) between June, 2019 and June, 2020 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court used the total sum of N900million which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
Count three: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Amoke (now at large) between July, 2020 and July, 2021 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court used the total sum of N900million which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
Count four: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Amoke (now at large) between August, 2021 and December, 2021 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court used the total sum of N375million which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
Count five: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo and Adeyanju Amoke (now at large) between January, 2022 and April, 2022 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court used the total sum of N300million which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
Count six: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo on or about the 12th day of September, 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable court transferred the sum of N2 million to BENGRAPHICS, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
Count seven: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo on or about the 12th day of September, 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, transferred the sum of N1.1million to BENGRAPHICS, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”
Count eight: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Amoke (now at large) on or about the 22nd day of August, 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/4/AUG/2019 wherein you claimed that the sum of N10million was received by one Adewunmi Tunde and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.”
Count nine: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo and Adeyanju Amoke (now at large) on or about the 30th day of May, 2020 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/11/May/2020 wherein you claimed that the sum of N30,250million was received by one Adesina Abimbola and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.”
Count 10: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Amoke (now at large) on or about the 21st day of January, 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/3/JAN/2019 wherein you claimed that the sum of N12million was received by one Babatunde Abiola and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.”
Count 11: “That you, Olakunle Oluomo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo and Adeyanju Amoke (now at large) on or about the 26th day of January, 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable court fraudulently forged the Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/4/JAN/2019 wherein you claimed that the sum of N16 million was received by one Adebowale Jamiu and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.”
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